Dr Felice Zaccari, a retired GP, and his late
wife Mary Zaccari, have provided research funding to the
University for many years, and recently donated enough capital
to ensure the project continues in the long-term.
“We wanted to create a scholarship that would support a cause
that needs research,” Dr Zaccari said.
“My late wife and I chose to financially support research into
schizophrenia, which we have been doing since 2001.”
Schizophrenia is a severe and debilitating psychiatric disorder,
for which the cause is unknown.
It affects approximately one percent of the population, and is
characterised by disruptions in language, thought, perception,
social activity, and volition.
The donation will fund a perpetual scholarship, to be
co-administered by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health
Research and the Schizophrenia Fellowship of Queensland.
The current recipient of the Zaccari scholarship is Amanda
Jones, from the School of Medicine, whose aim was to uncover
whether some cases of schizophrenia could be categorised as an
autoimmune disease.
“The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but evidence is mounting
that there may be several immune abnormalities in some people
with schizophrenia including the presence of antibodies directed
against brain neurotransmitter receptors,” Miss Jones said.
“The aim of this project was to confirm and extend findings of
autoantibodies against neurotransmitter receptors in sera from
people with schizophrenia.”
Miss Jones said her research had the potential to expand
treatment options for schizophrenia sufferers.
“Improving our understanding of disease mechanisms in
schizophrenia would offer new avenues to be explored in the
treatment of schizophrenia.
“If autoantibodies are found to be present in the sera of people
with schizophrenia and not healthy controls, then it may be
possible to develop a diagnostic test for schizophrenia similar
to that used to diagnose lupus or other antibody mediated
autoimmune diseases.
“New therapies could be developed which target the cause rather
than the symptoms of schizophrenia, as is the current practice,
and these treatments could be tailored to individual patients
resulting in less medication side effects and less time spent
hospitalised,” she said.
Miss Jones, whose PhD is due for completion this year, said
receiving the scholarship had lessened the financial pressure
associated with medical research.
Part Used: the bark of a deciduous tree of originating from the lower Himalayas but found growing throughout India Pakistan.
Used in specifically for all conditions associated with cardiac failure including irregular heart beat, palpitations, mitral valve prolapse, coronary artery disease, hypertension and congestive heart failure.
Arjuna has a stimulant effect on the heart so is particularly useful for a weak heart. Arjuna strengthens the heart muscle – unlike digitalis or nitroglycerine that only strengthens and restores heart beat with no nutritive effect on the heart muscle itself.
The bark is useful as an anti-ischemic and cardioprotective agent in hypertension and in ischemic heart disease. It also has a tonic effect in cases of cirrhosis of the liver. It induces a drug-dependent decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. It has been reported to possess protective cardiovascular and hypolipidemic properties. It reduces the level of triglycerides and cholesterol and has been reported to enhance the synthesis of LDL-apoprotein (apoB). It inhibits the oxidation of LDL and accelerates the turnover of LDL-cholesterol in liver. This enhances the elimination of cholesterol from the body. The suppression of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis by Terminalia arjuna is the mechanism responsible for a significant lowering of beta-lipoprotein lipids and the recovery of HDL components in hyperlipidemia.
In a study on the efficacy of the bark powder in treating congestive cardiac failure (CCF), over 40% of the cases showed marked improvement. CCF due to congenital anomaly of heart and valvular disease was also brought under control. 4 out of 9 cases of CCF due to chronic bronchitis were also relieved by the treatment. Arjuna relieved symptomatic complaints of essential hypertension viz. giddiness, insomnia, lassitude, headache and the inability to concentrate. Oral administration of an aqueous suspension of the bark powder reduces coagulation, bleeding and prothrombin time.
In a double-blind crossover study, twelve subjects with
refractory chronic congestive heart failure (idiopathic
dialated cardiomyopathy (n=10): previous myocardial
infarction (n=1), or peripartum cardiomyopathy (n=1),
received Terminalia arjuna , at a dose of 500 mg
every eight hours, or placebo for two weeks, each
treatment protocol separated by a two-week washout
period, as an adjuvant to conventional therapy. Terminalia,
compared to placebo, was associated with improvement in
symptoms and signs of heart failure, decrease in
echo-left ventricular and diastolic and end systolic
volume indices, increase in left ventricular stroke
volume index, and increase in left ventricular ejection
fractions. A study with similar dosing on primarily
post-myocardial infarction angina patients found
improvements in cardiac function. Prolonged use
resulted in no adverse side effects or signs of renal,
hepatic, or hematological abnormalities.
Hawthorn
or Crataegus oxycantha (which is one
of some 100 to 200 subspecies of trees native to
temperate zones ofEurope, Asia and North America) is the
most famous and heavily researched cardiovascular herb.
Like Arjuna, hawthorn is particularly rich in
antioxidant flavonoids. Flavonoids are the most powerful
health bestowing constituent of tonic herbs. They are
the qi or energy of a plant and are responsible for the
rainbow of colors found in fruits, vegetables, soy and
herbs. They work with their cousins, carotenes as
antioxidants to protect the plant from free radicals.
The major difference between the two is that carotenes
(the precursor of vitamin A) is soluble in oil while
flavonoids are soluble in water. The French who consume
at least four times more butter and lard than we do have
a much lower incidence of death from coronary artery
disease. The best rationale is their regular consumption
of flavonoids-rich red wine. Of course dark grape juice
is probably better overall, especially for the liver.
Flavonoids are also important in both green and black
tea and have been shown to have antipathogenic and
anticancer properties. Finally the isoflavonoids found
in soy are powerful in reducing cholesterol