If you review the most recent data published about
Modafinil you will find that
it appears to be neuroprotective and is implicated in the PREVENTION of PD.Stimulating Nitric Oxide -- if, in fact, that is what
modafinil (Provigil) does, that would seem to suggest it to be even
more of a wonder drug than it already appears to be. Nitric Oxide production is one of the
primary reasons I currently take an Arginine supplement before I go to the gym; and is principally implicated in viagra's function.
The need for peer review is highlighted by the information overload you find on the Internet. Anyone can post a webpage within a few minutes and post totally usless and incorrect information. This highlights the need for a proper review of the data to assess if the evidence supports a given theory.
Run the name of the "MD" through Pubmed and you'll see he hasn't done any research of his own -- which can speak volumes about his credibility in the field. The site that this dude's work is supposedly posted at might not even be a quote directly attributed to him, is by
Carol Sieverling -- and if it is, it looks about as quacked out as can be. In the future, do yourself a favor and put some quality time in checking the references of folks you want to cite as authorities.
[quote name='http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/sexshow_2001/marsden.html']CBC MARKETPLACE: HEALTH » SEX
The ins and outs of Nitric Oxide
Broadcast: November 28, 2001
Dr. Philip Marsden explains Nitric Oxide and the topical application of arginine to skin.
Q: What is Nitric Oxide?
A: In 1998, the Nobel Prize was awarded to a group of researchers who found that Nitric Oxide has been produced within the blood vessels of humans. This was a surprising discovery but realized that Nitric Oxide played a role in various areas.
That lead to research to try to understand how Nitric Oxide played a role in the reproductive tract. And the surprising finding when researchers were working on the development of the cardiovascular system to treat heart disease was that a drug, Viagra had a very potent effect on male reproductive function, even thought it was developed to treat cardiovascular disease.
That sort of lead to the idea that maybe Nitric Oxide is also important to the biology of how endocrine glands work, such as the gonads, ovaries and testes.
That it was important in the sexual act itself, for instance, in the male achieving an erection. As well, the biology of how babies are conceived and grow in the uterus. And that area the contribution of Nitric Oxide in those particular aspects of biology said maybe a contribution of too much or too little Nitric Oxide when diseases develop.
The discovery that Nitric Oxide was important in the health and well-being of patients is a fundamental one. My research lab has a great interest in that area and many other labs do to.
At a recent meeting of the American Heart Association two weeks ago, Nitric Oxide was a big area for study. It's important in heart disease, we now know it's got an important contribution in terms of stroke, brain injury and it's probably important in understanding diseases of the skin, diseases of the immune system.
It's especially important in terms of how we understand the importance of the biology of reproduction. Viagra is probably the best example that we have a lot to learn about Nitric Oxide and human response.
Both researchers and lay individuals have an evolving interest in the complex human behaviour. We have memory, sleep, sexual function. And those areas I think are going to be the areas that catch an increasing amount of interest.
In terms of understanding the full processes, that we now have a foothold on some aspects of female and male reproduction as it relates to Nitric Oxide, it's good news for patients. It's playing a role in health and it may be playing a role in disease.Q: Give us an understanding of arginine's relationship to Nitric Oxide.
A: My research lab and many others tried to determine how Nitric Oxide was made in the cardiovascular system and other cells. And the finding that was made was that there's an enzyme, a protein in cells that produced Nitric Oxide. So where did it come from?
The surprise is that it was an element that's in our daily diets on a daily basis — an essential amino acid — arginine. The arginine produces Nitric Oxide because one of the nitrogen atoms develops it. So if you don't have arginine, you don't make Nitric Oxide and if you don't have the enzyme, you don't make it.
So the idea was in human disease, and therefore male and female reproductive function was whether or not arginine availability was also caused part of the problem. Too much arginine or too little arginine.
When arginine is given to animals or patients, it has surprising effects whether it be in the diet or intravenously injected. It changes how the pancreas works in forming insulin. It effects how our pituitaries work.
It's not a well understood pathway in the reproductive system, whether arginine therapy given systemically (in the vein) or given orally or rubbed topically has an effect on Nitric Oxide system producing testosterone, male erectile response or the climactic response. Those are not well understood areas.
Q: So the application of a cream with arginine is applied to the genital area — would you say it would have an effect?
A: So if arginine is important in Nitric Oxide the question becomes whether topical therapy has an effect on this Nitric Oxide pathway. I think the answer is not known.
The claims that topically applying arginine changes the availability of Nitric Oxide, in most reasonable approaches would suggest that you have to develop proper experiments and talk with patients about whether the cream with arginine or whether the cream without arginine has the effects you're trying to measure.
I am not aware that a large number of studies have been done on arginine biology in the external reproductive tract. It does have application in burn therapy and that maybe it helps skin lesions heal — that area is a more rapidly emerging one. And there still is a lot to learn. I would like to argue that the proof as to whether arginine is important in the female climatic response is not there.
The concerning issue for patients is whether or not the arginine will have the effect that they're hoping and there are many reasons as to why the female climatic response may be normal or abnormal. The link between arginine and that response has not been established.
Q: What do you think of Viacrème?
A: It's a product. It is, as consumers who want to look on the Internet will find, a product that makes no claims with respect to its health benefits, yet one's left with the impression that Viacrème and Viagra have something in common.
Clearly, Nitric Oxide is important in the female and male sexual function and we still have a lot to learn. That's good news for patients. It's good news for people who want to develop further insight into the product. Whether this product Viacrème is the answer to that in terms of changing the female sexual response remains to be determined.
The product is a lubricant and contains arginine and menthol. It's called l-arginine on the product. That's just a nuance of amino acid biology and it's not "larginine." It's L-arginine. It's the same product you find over the counter as an oral drug in the vitamin section of the drug store. Menthol is clearly labelled. They do state that "Viacrème is not intended to cure, treat or prevent any disease or medical condition, yet the term clearly implies a relatedness to Viagra."[/quote]
