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The result of a recent study by the Utrecht University found that the speed of ejaculation in men is genetically determined.

89 Dutch men with premature ejaculation were recently studied. The study also useda control group of 92 men. For a month the female partners used a stopwatch at home to measure the time until ejaculation each time they had intercourse. Remember this study was based on men who have always ejaculated prematurely from their first sexual contact and since. It was not based on men who started suffering from this later on in life.

SEROTONIN?

What has Serotonin deficiency got to do with it? In men who suffer from premature ejaculation, serotonin appeared to be less active between the nerves in the section of the brain that controls ejaculation. Among other things, this substance is linked to sexual activity and appetite. It is a serotonin that transfers a signal from one neuron to another. Due to the low activity of serotonin, this signal transfer does not occur properly in men with the primary form of premature ejaculation.

GENES Is it possible that Genes could cause a problem?

A gene which had already been discovered, namely 5-HTTLPR, appeared to be responsible for the amount and activity of serotonin, which means that it controls the rapidity of ejaculation. Three types of the gene exist: LL, SL and SS. The study showed that the LL type causes a more rapid ejaculation. On average, men with LL ejaculate twice as quickly as men with SS, and also almost twice as quickly as men with SL. The researchers are currently also looking for other genes that are involved in ejaculation.

SO IT'S NOT IN MY HEAD?

As long ago as 1998, researcher Marcel Waldinger predicted that both the rapidity with which men ejaculate and the primary form of premature ejaculation were genetically determined. This theory contradicts the idea, which has been common for years, that the primary form of premature ejaculation is a psychological disorder. The results of this research confirmed the genetic theory and may contribute to possible gene therapy against premature ejaculation.’

Journal reference: Adapted from materials provided by Utrecht University, via AlphaGalileo.

News Reel - Just In:

Here we ran across a very important study done by the University of Michigan.  Scientists have provided the most detailed picture yet of a key HIV accessory protein that foils the body's normal immune response. The team is searching for new drugs that may someday allow infected people to be cured and no longer need today's AIDS drugs for a lifetime.

The picture shows on the left, a normal, uninfected cell with green-stained MHC-I protein on the cell surface. On the right side of picture is an HIV infected cell -- most of the MHC-I builds up inside, keeping the cell from telling the immune system that it harbors a virus.

In people infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS, there's an unsolved problem with current anti-viral drugs. Though life-saving, they cannot root the virus out of the body. Infected cells are able to live on, undetected by the immune system, and provide the machinery for the virus to reproduce and spread.

The idea is that people have to be on the existing drugs, and when they're not, the virus rebounds. If scientists could develop drugs that seek out and eradicate the remaining factories for the virus, then maybe they could eradicate the disease in the person.

Research details

The new research details the complex actions of a protein, HIV-1 Nef, that is known to keep immune system cells from doing their normal jobs of detecting and killing infected cells.

The Michigan team show how Nef disables two key immune system players inside an infected cell. These are molecules called major histocompatability complex 1 proteins (MHC-1) that present HIV antigens to the immune system, and CD4, the cell-surface receptor that normally locks onto a virus and allows it to enter the cell.

Think of MHC-1 in comparison to motion detectors on a house, which send the first signal to a monitoring station if an invader breaks in. The Michigan scientists say that the immune system, especially the cytotoxic T lymphocytes, are like the monitors who get the signal that there's a foreign invader inside the cell, and send out police cars, (the 'police' are toxic chemicals produced by T lymphocyte cells, which kill the cell that harbors the invader).

By in effect pushing the MHC-I proteins into an infected cell's "trash bin" so they fail to alert the T lymphocytes, Nef's actions allow active virus to hide undetected and reproduce. Also, once a cell has been infected, Nef destroys CD4. The result is that this encourages new virus to spread to uninfected cells.

Nef's activities are variable and complex. But the research team's findings suggest that the many pathways involved may end in a final common step. That could make it possible to find a drug that could block several Nef functions.

Implications

The Michigan lab is now screening drug candidates to find promising Nef inhibitors. Such drugs, which are at least 10 years away from use in people, would supplement, not replace, existing anti-viral drugs given to HIV-infected people. The new drugs would target the reservoirs where the virus hides.

In developing countries, the new drugs could have a huge impact. Today, children born with HIV infection start taking the existing anti-HIV drugs at birth. It's very hard to continue costly treatments for a lifetime. But if children could be cured within a few years, global HIV treatment efforts could spread their dollars further and be much more successful, she says.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Michigan Health System.

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Alzheimer's Detection Breakthrough -

The thought amazes us yet to think that a simple blood test could detect whether a person might develop Alzheimer's disease.  The test is within sight and could eventually help scientists in their quest toward reversing the disease's onset in those likely to develop the debilitating neurological condition.

Building on a study that started 20 years ago with an elderly population in Northern Manhattan at risk or in various stages of developing Alzheimer's disease, the Columbia research group has yielded ground-breaking findings that could change the way the disease is treated or someday prevent it. These findings suggest that by looking at the blood doctors may be able to detect a person's predisposition to developing the dementia-inducing disease that robs a person of their memory and ability carry out tasks essential to life.

Adapted from materials provided by Columbia University Medical Center.

Who doesn't want better looking skin. A couple of our staffers spent years in the sun, and now have the age spots that go with it.  The rest of us just get to here their daily wails of exclamation. We thought a story on skin rejuvenation was appropriate this month, to remind those sun gods and goddesses what they have been doing to their future skin all summer long.

Skin rejuvenation is an increasingly popular subject for researchers, dermatologists, and patients. The advent of numerous methods and techniques for treating fine lines and wrinkles like using Retin-A has brought facial rejuvenation into the mainstream.

In 2007 alone over 11.7 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States , and four of the top five nonsurgical procedures are targeted at restoring the skin’s youthful appearance. There is an increasing awareness of products like Retin-A. Given the huge demand for treating wrinkles and aging skin many products and technologies are marketed to prospective patients, some which are based in science, and others which are not.

The Sun

Skin that is protected from the sun (for example the skin on our bottom) does not suffer from many of the problems we associate with “old skin”. Age spots or enlarged pores are not found typically on inner-thighs. Why? No sun exposure. With the passage of time we do see a loss of adipose, the fatty tissue in our skin, but this is not what usually concerns patients seeking skin rejuvenation. They are concerned with sun-damaged skin.

The skin is made up of an extra-cellular matrix (collagen-elastin-glycosaminoglycans). Collagen is the skin’s major building-block, elastin gives it its flexibility (“elastic”). The sun damages these proteins by triggering our skin’s DNA to act in abnormal ways. The sun’s damaging rays tell our skin’s DNA to produce degraded collagen and elastin proteins. These degraded cells are less elastic and have a less-youthful appearance than cells which are not exposed to the sun.

Free radicals are an important factor in skin aging. They are caused by sun exposure. Free radicals are reactive atoms that do damage to our collagen and cause inflammation. They are negatively charged oxygen molecules.

All oxygen-breathing organisms create free radicals and our bodies have a natural defense against them. We produce SODs (superoxide dismutase) to neutralize these free radicals. However over time, after years of cumulative sun exposure, we do damage to our body’s natural ability to fend off these free radicals. In essence “our shields are down”, we are unable to prevent the damage to our skin.

Methods of Rejuvenation

Topical - Like Retin-A

Chemical Peels

Microdermabrasion

Lasers

Radio-Frequency

Intense Pulsed Light

Injectable Fillers - Botox

Surgery

It is very hard for a lay person to know which treatment is ideal for them. Retin-A is quite popular, but the best thing for anyone who is considering skin rejuvenation to do is to seek out an expert in skin, for example a cosmetic dermatologist, for a consultation. Don’t be afraid to get multiple consultations with different physicians. What you want is someone with access to a variety of treatment options at their disposal. If you see someone who only has one option for skin rejuvenation, they are going to steer you towards the device or option they have. It is always good to spend a little time with several providers, and then make a choice. Never rush into a decision. A little patience, research, and consultation will help you get the results you want.

It is vital to understand the science behind these procedures and products before making any decision on skin rejuvenation.

Red Wine - Drop in Lung Cancer Risk

A study published in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, found that moderate consumption of red wine lowered the risk of lung cancer in men. “An antioxidant compound in red wine may be protective of lung cancer, particularly among smokers,” said Chun Chao, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California.

The study collected information on over 84,000 men aged 45 to 69 years old in California’s health care system. Scientists measured the effects of beer, white wine, red wine and liquor on the risk of developing lung cancer. Factors such as race, education, body mass index, and smoking history were also considered.

The researchers found that for every glass of red wine consumed each month, the risk of developing lung cancer dropped by two percent. The biggest reduction was seen in smokers who drank one or two glasses of red wine daily. Their risk was reduced by 60 percent. Beer, white wine and liquor had no measureable effect. “Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants,” said Chao. “Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies.”

Researchers warn that their findings shouldn’t encourage heavy drinking and also noted that even smokers who drank red wine had a higher risk of lung cancer than non-smokers.
 

Special Notes:

Be sure to visit Positive Singles - A place where people with STD's will never feel lonely. 

70 million are afflicted with STDs in the U.S. alone and an estimated over 400 million worldwide. Are you one of them?

When you have Herpes, HPV, HIV/AIDS, or any other STD, it can feel like you are all alone in the world. Do you wish there was a place where you didn't have to worry about being rejected or discriminated?

Positive Singles is a warm-hearted and exclusive community for singles and friends with STDs. Here you can get on with your life and meet new friends, partners or potential spouses, or learn about STD medical information. If you just need to find someone to talk to or give them help or advice, this is the best place. Never feel lonely again!

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I'm guilty.  I have been a sun worshiper all my life.  Now I am fighting age spots and sun damaged skin into my fifties.  What looked good when I was young, doesn't look good now that I'm getting older.  Thanks for putting out the warning to young people today.  I am using Retin-A now, though it's only been a few weeks.  Thanks for providing the Canadian Pharmacy links to buy it for less then the US stores.  It helps the pocket book a lot. - June R., Prescott, AZ

Thanks for displaying the video links on HIV and AIDS. - Paul T., San Diego, CA

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