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Breakthrough in combating the side effects of Quinine
June 30, 2009Discovered back in the 1600s quinine was the first effective treatment in the fight against malaria - and it continues to be a commonly used treatment against this devastating disease. But the drug is associated with a long list of side effects which can range from sickness and headaches to blindness, deafness and in rare cases death - and until now no one knew why.
Scientists at The University of Nottingham have made a discovery that may explain many of the adverse side-effects associated with the drug and as a result have potentially found a way of combating them.
Their research, funded by The Sir Halley Stewart Trust, found that quinine can block a cell's ability to take up the essential amino acid tryptophan. The findings, published today in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, suggest that dietary tryptophan supplements could be a cheap and simple way to improve the performance of this important drug.
Dr Simon Avery and colleagues in the School of Biology used yeast genetics to examine the effects of quinine on a collection of 6000 yeast mutants, each one lacking exactly one of the yeast's 6000 genes. While quite different from humans, yeast is comparable on a cellular level and yeast is frequently, and successfully, used as a front-line agent in testing chemicals and small molecule drugs.
This detailed screening process revealed that strains of yeast unable to make tryptophan were extremely susceptible to quinine poisoning, which led them to identify a tryptophan transporter as a key quinine target (yeast that cannot make their own tryptophan have to rely exclusively on external sources, and thus die if tryptophan transport is blocked).
This discovery fits in well with evidence that quinine reactions are more severe in malnourished individuals. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which means the human body cannot produce it - we have to get it from the food we eat. Tryptophan is abundant in meat but limited in yams, a staple food crop in the tropics where malaria is prevalent. If quinine severely reduces tryptophan uptake, then it follows that people with preexisting tryptophan deficiency, a common occurrence in undernourished populations, would be especially at risk from this drug.
Each year there are an estimated 350 to 500 million cases of malaria - and every year it kills between one and three million people. In Africa, malaria is a leading cause of death in children. Estimates are that worldwide over three billion people are at risk of contracting the disease.
Dr Simon Avery said: "This finding could be a key step towards making quinine side-effects a thing of the past, so improving the quality of treatment for millions of malaria sufferers. It also highlights the benefits of collaborative research, in this case between my yeast group and the parasite immunology group of Dr. Richard Pleass."
The body uses tryptophan to make the brain chemical serotonin - which is thought to produce healthy sleep and a stable mood - so a lack of tryptophan induced by quinine could also explain why many of quinine's side effects are localized to the head region.
The researchers postulate that the toxic effects of quinine could be averted simply by taking dietary tryptophan supplements in conjunction with quinine treatments. Scientists now have to find out if tryptophan affects quinine action against the malaria parasite.
University of Nottingham
Dr Simon Avery and colleagues in the School of Biology used yeast genetics to examine the effects of quinine on a collection of 6000 yeast mutants, each one lacking exactly one of the yeast's 6000 genes. While quite different from humans, yeast is comparable on a cellular level and yeast is frequently, and successfully, used as a front-line agent in testing chemicals and small molecule drugs.
This detailed screening process revealed that strains of yeast unable to make tryptophan were extremely susceptible to quinine poisoning, which led them to identify a tryptophan transporter as a key quinine target (yeast that cannot make their own tryptophan have to rely exclusively on external sources, and thus die if tryptophan transport is blocked).
This discovery fits in well with evidence that quinine reactions are more severe in malnourished individuals. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which means the human body cannot produce it - we have to get it from the food we eat. Tryptophan is abundant in meat but limited in yams, a staple food crop in the tropics where malaria is prevalent. If quinine severely reduces tryptophan uptake, then it follows that people with preexisting tryptophan deficiency, a common occurrence in undernourished populations, would be especially at risk from this drug.
Each year there are an estimated 350 to 500 million cases of malaria - and every year it kills between one and three million people. In Africa, malaria is a leading cause of death in children. Estimates are that worldwide over three billion people are at risk of contracting the disease.
Dr Simon Avery said: "This finding could be a key step towards making quinine side-effects a thing of the past, so improving the quality of treatment for millions of malaria sufferers. It also highlights the benefits of collaborative research, in this case between my yeast group and the parasite immunology group of Dr. Richard Pleass."
The body uses tryptophan to make the brain chemical serotonin - which is thought to produce healthy sleep and a stable mood - so a lack of tryptophan induced by quinine could also explain why many of quinine's side effects are localized to the head region.
The researchers postulate that the toxic effects of quinine could be averted simply by taking dietary tryptophan supplements in conjunction with quinine treatments. Scientists now have to find out if tryptophan affects quinine action against the malaria parasite.
University of Nottingham
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Hyland's Leg Cramps, with Quinine, 100 tablets (Pack of 3) by Hyland's Homeopathic Homeopathic. Natural relief for cramps and pains in lower back and legs. Hyland's Leg Cramps is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of cramps and pains in lower back and legs often made worse by damp weather. Working without contraindications or side effects, Hyland's Leg Cramps stimulates your body's natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland's Leg Cramps is safe for adults and can be used in conjunction with other medications. Made in USA. |
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Hyland's - Leg Cramps W/ Quinine, 100 tablets by Hyland's Leg Cramps with Quinine is a homeopathic formula for natural relief of cramps and pains in lower back and legs. |
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Leg Cramps W/quinine - 100 Tablets #8371 by P & S Laboratories Hyland's® Leg Cramps is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of cramps and pain in lower back and legs often made worse by damp weather. Working without contraindications or side effects Hyland's Leg Cramps stimulates your body's natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland's Leg Cramps is safe for adults and can be used in conjunction with other medications. Indications: Relief of symptoms of cramps and pains in lower back and legs. |
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Leg Cramps with Quinine Sulfate 60 Tablets by Natra-Bio Homeopathics Providing natural relief for the symptoms of: - Leg Cramps - Muscle Pains & Spasms - Cramps in Calves & Feet - Night Cramps & Pain All natural ingredients No drowsiness Non-habit forming Fast, effective symptom relief Convenient quick dissolve tablets |
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Hyland's Leg Cramps, with Quinine, 100 tablets (Pack of 3) by Hyland's Homeopathic Homeopathic. Natural relief for cramps and pains in lower back and legs. Hyland's Leg Cramps is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of cramps and pains in lower back and legs often made worse by damp weather. Working without contraindications or side effects, Hyland's Leg Cramps stimulates your body's natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland's Leg Cramps is safe for adults and can be used in conjunction with other medications. Made in USA. |
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Quinine: Malaria and the Quest for a Cure That Changed the World by Fiammetta Rocco (Author) Quinine: The Jesuits discovered it. The Protestants feared it. The British vied with the Dutch for it, and the Nazis seized it. Because of quinine, medicine, warfare, and exploration were changed forever. For more than one thousand years, there was no cure for malaria. In 1623, after ten cardinals and hundreds of their attendants died in Rome while electing Urban VII the new pope, he announced that a cure must be found. He encouraged Jesuit priests establishing new missions in Asia and in South America to learn everything they could about how the local people treated the disease, and in 1631, an apothecarist in Peru named Agostino Salumbrino dispatched a new miracle to Rome. The cure was quinine, an alkaloid made from the bitter red bark of the cinchona tree. ... |
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Clubman Eau De Quinine 12.5 oz. (Hair Tonic) by Clubman Apply daily and massage vigorously. Stimulates surface circulation of scalp. Removes loose dandruff. Keeps hair healthy, well-groomed, lustrous. Available size: 12.5 oz. |
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Hyland's Leg Cramp Ointment, 2.5-Ounce (70.9 g) (Pack of 3) by Hyland's Homeopathic Homeopathic. Stop the pain! For the temporary symptomatic relief of cramps and pains in legs and calves. 100% Natural. Works fast. Soothing. Warming. Non greasy. Pleasant wintergreen scent. |
![Leg Cramps With Quinine [40 caplets] Hylands](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21IqUkhuwFL._SL160_.jpg) |
Leg Cramps With Quinine [40 caplets] Hylands by Hylands Hyland's Leg Cramps with Quinine is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of cramps and pains in lower back and legs often made worse by damp weather. Working without contraindications or side effects, Hyland's Leg Cramps stimulates your body's natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland's Leg Cramps with Quinine is safe for adults and can be used in conjunction with other medications.* ... Indications: leg cramps, leg pains, lower back cramps and lower back pains |
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Klorane Fortifying Treatment Shampoo with Quinine and B Vitamins (13.4 oz) by Klorane Fortifying Treatment Shampoo strengthens and thickens your hair, and stimulates stronger hair growth.The Incas have long used the quinine to strengthen and stimulate hair growth. Klorane's quinine is uniquely grown in the Amazon region in South America, where the extracts dry in the sun for maximum potency.Recommended for thinning hair. |
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