Detoxification Regimen for Xenobiotics

Abstract

A detoxification regimen has been found to be safe for use by individuals exposed to recreational (abused) and medical drugs, patent medicines, occupational and environmental chemicals Patients with high blood pressure had a mean reduction of 30.8 mm systolic, 23.3 mm diastolic. Cholesterol level mean reduction was 19.5 mg/100ml, while triglycerides did not change. Medical complications associated with the program were rare, occuring in less than three percent of the subjects. The program resulted in improvements in psychological test scores. The mean increase in Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IQ was 6.7 points. High Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles decreased on the third scale (10.7), the fourth scale (8.0), the fifth scale (4.5) and the sixth scale (8.0). The decrease in the fourth scale suggests hope for sociopaths, a group with fourth scale scores not improved by National Institute for Mental Health or Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act inpatient programs.

Introduction

Over four million distinct chemical compounds have been reported in the literature since 1965, with 6,000 new compounds added to the list each week. Of these, as many as 70,000 are currently in commercial production. (1) Human exposure to these chemicals is both direct and indirect. More than 3,000 chemicals are deliberately added to food (2) and over 700 have been identified in drinking water (3). Along with pharmaceuticals and recreational street drugs, the direct exposure to humans is considerable. In addition, the biomagnification of chemicals discharged into the environment has resulted in human accumulation, generally due to the partitioning of these xenobiotics from water into lipids.(4-6) Additional partitioning from one form of lipid to another leads to accumulation of these chemicals in lipid deposits throughout the body, (7) but especially in adipose tissue. (5)

Over 400 chemicals have been identified in human tissues, with some 48 found in adipose, 40 in milk, 73 in the liver, and over 250 in blood plasma. (8) The characters of chemicals found in adipose tissue are diverse, but tend to reflect biologically persistent or often used materials such as DDT, PCB, dioxin, nalkanes, PCP and THC.(9-13) Chemicals stored in adipose and other tissues pose a continuing physiological and psychological threat to human health. Dioxin has been associated with ischemic vascular disease (14)

and with other physiological as well as psychological effects as long as ten years after initial exposure. (15) Oncological studies have shown a significant association between PCB and DDE levels in fat and increased cancer incidence. (16-17) In addition, PCB exposures have resulted in increased plasma triglycerides, even in the absence of overt symptoms of PCB intoxification. (18) PCB's in monkeys not only resulted in increased blood lipids, but negatively affected the ability to maintain pregnancy. (19) Further, they have been related to personality and cognitive functioning of persons unexpectedly exposed. (20) Phencyclidine (PCP, Angel Dust, etc.), also shown to be stored in adipose, has been demonstrated to have long-lasting behavioral effects as well. (12)

Concern over the potential health effects associated with lipid and other tissue stored xenobiotics has resulted in public upset of remarkable proportions, leading to federal responses such as the clean up efforts in Love Canal, NY, or the major medical follow up of veterans exposed to defoliant Agent Orange. (21) With exposure to chemicals significant, long-term health effects likely, and public concern continuing, the need for detoxification of xenobiotics takes on increasing importance.

Approaches to detoxification generally exploit pathways which lead to excretion of chemicals and their metabolites in urine and feces, or extrarenal excretion in sweat or sebum. Lipid mobilization serves as the basis for promotion of xenobiotic metabolism through the action of detoxifying chemicals such as ascorbic acid, niacin, and phenobarbital. (22-25) Typically, lipid mobilization is not enhanced prior to use of bioactive chemicals, however techniques have been studied which accomplish increased mobilization, especially through starvation (5,26-27) or exercise. (28-29) A fecal associated route exists which is not dependent upon bioactive chemicals and partitions xenobiotics through the intestine wall into non-absorbable materials such as paraffin. (30)

The second major class of pathways is extrarenal excretion via sweat or sebum. One of these pathways (it is unclear which) has been identified as a route for loss of n-alkanes, (11) paraffinic hydrocarbons, (31) methadone, (32) amphetamines (33) and antiepileptics, (34-35) among others.

The purpose of this paper is to present clinically observed physiological and psychological changes in subjects who underwent a comprehensive extrarenal excretion regimen intended to remove lipophilics and other xenobiotics from the body. This study was developed to evaluate clinical manifestations associated with the regimen, and is preliminary to a study of its efficacy.

Methodology

Test Subjects: One hundred and three individuals who enrolled in the detoxification program volunteered for additional testing concomitant with the program. California guidelines for human experimentation were used. Individuals were accepted on a first application received basis for a period of four weeks. Initial interviews were used to collect demographic data and obtain informed consent.

In addition to the experimental group, a control group of nineteen individuals was accepted on a first application basis. Initial interviews were used to collect demographic data and administer intelligence and psychological tests. They received no special instructions on diet, exercise, vitamins or any activities and were simply tested and retested three weeks later to determine any variance on repeat intelligence testing over this short time period.

Detoxification Regimen: The detoxification regimen (36-38) consists of seven components: (a) Physical exercise, preferably runnin aerobically, for 20-30 minutes immediately prior to sauna exposure. b) Forced sweating by sauna at 140-180 OF (46-68 OC) for two and one half to five hours daily, immediately following the physical exercise. The exposure was as close to five hours as could be comfortably taken. The sauna was done in one period each day, with short breaks for cooling shower or additional exercise permitted. (c) A nutritional supplement centered around gradually increasing doses of niacin kept in strict proportion with other vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, C, E, B Complex, Bl and multi-minerals containing calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, potassium, and iodine. (d) Water, salt and potassium taken as needed to avert dehydration or salt depletion due to the concentrated sweating. (e) Polyunsaturated (allblend) oil, from 2 to 8 tablespoons daily based on individual tolerance. (f) Calcium and magnesium supplements. (g) A regular daily schedule with balanced meals and adequate sleep. No medications, drugs or alcohol were permitted during the period of the regimen (two exceptions as noted). Participants were directed to follow their usual diet and not make any major changes in food consumption.

This regimen was followed daily for about three weeks, and until the individual subjectively realized the point at which his body was "free from impurities". (36) The individual filled out a progress report daily. These reports were reviewed daily by the program director to ensure standardness in application of the regimen. The program director directed increases in nutritional supplements, evaluated subjective changes reported, and directed individuals to their medical professional when any medical problems or questions arose. A medical history and physical examination was required before the program was begun, and individuals with heart disease or anemia were not permitted to continue with the regimen. Each of these program components are standard to use of the regimen and were not, therefore, added for the purpose of the investigation.

Physiological Tests and Observations: Prior to commencement of the regimen, laboratory analysis of blood cholesterol and triglycerides was conducted. Two individuals with incompletely diagnosed heart disease, one individual with an undiagnosed neuromuscular disorder, and two people with adrenogenital syndrome were excluded from the study. Two patients on high blood pressure medicine (Catapres 0.2 mg b.i.d; Aldomet 250 mg t.i.d, Inderal 40 mg b.i.d.) were continued unchanged.

Upon completion of the regimen, physical examinations and blood tests were repeated. Participants were also requested to write a summary of any changes or events that occurred during the program.

Psychologic Tests and Observations: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Minnesota tiultiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to individuals in the experimental and control group before and after the regimen.

Statistical Evaluation Results: of both physiological and psychological tests were reviewed for distributional normality prior to further analysis. The results on all tests indicated degrees of skewness and kurtosis which would be expected to confound multivariate analysis in samples as small as were used. Since significance probabilities of the Student T and variance tests change when non-normal data are examined, a nonparametric method was used to ensure that significance levels would be constant, no matter what type of distribution the data assumed. (39) The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine the significance of differences between measurements.

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