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Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Help Prevent Alzheimer's Brain Lesions

IRVINE, CA � A type of omega-3 fatty acid may slow the growth of two brain lesions that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, UC Irvine scientists have discovered. The finding suggests that diets rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can help prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease later in life.

This study with genetically modified mice is the first to show that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, can slow the accumulation of tau, a protein that leads to the development of neurofibrillary tangles. Such tangles are one of two signature brain lesions of Alzheimer's disease. DHA also was found to reduce levels of the protein beta amyloid, which can clump in the brain and form plaques, the other Alzheimer's lesion. The research appeared in the April 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

Previous studies have shown that DHA may have therapeutic value for Alzheimer's patients, but this research is among the first to show that it may delay the onset of the disease. DHA is found in fish, eggs, organ meats, micro-algae, fortified foods and food supplements.

"We are greatly excited by these results, which show us that simple changes in diet can positively alter the way the brain works and lead to protection from Alzheimer's disease pathology," said Frank LaFerla, professor of neurobiology and behavior and co-author of the study.

LaFerla and his research team studied the effects of DHA in mice bred to develop the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease. Mice in the control group were given food that mimics a typical American diet, with the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids being 10:1. Studies indicate that a proper ratio is important to maintain health, with the ideal being 3:1 to 5:1. Typical Western diets contain unhealthy ratios ranging from 10:1 to 30:1. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in corn, peanut and sunflower oils.

Mice in three test groups were given food with a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. One of these groups received supplemental DHA only, and two groups received DHA plus additional omega-6 fatty acids. After three months, mice in all of the test groups had lower levels of beta amyloid and tau than mice in the control group, but at nine months, only mice on the DHA diet had lower levels of both proteins. These results suggest that DHA works better on its

own than when paired with omega-6 fatty acids.

The scientists also determined the mechanism by which DHA leads to lower levels of beta amyloid. DHA, they found, leads to lower levels of presenilin, an enzyme responsible for cutting beta amyloid from its parent, the amyloid precursor protein. Without presenilin, beta amyloid cannot be generated. When clumped into plaques, beta amyloid disrupts communication between cells and leads to symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

This latest study adds to growing evidence that diet and lifestyle changes may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. LaFerla and his team have previously shown that short but repeated learning sessions can slow the physical progression of Alzheimer's in mice, suggesting that the elderly can delay onset of the disease by keeping their minds active. The team also found that stress hormones appear to rapidly exacerbate the formation of plaques and tangles, suggesting that managing stress could slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

"Combined with mental stimulation, exercise, other dietary intakes, and avoiding stress and smoking, we believe that people can significantly improve their odds against this disease," said Kim Green, scientist and lead author on the DHA, learning and stress studies.

Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 4.5 million adults in the United States. With an aging population, that number could approach 20 million by 2050. Five percent of people older than 65 have Alzheimer's, and up to one-half of people are affected by age 80.

UCI scientists Hilda Martinez-Coria and Hasan Khashwji, along with Martek Biosciences Corp. researchers Eileen Hall, Karin Yurko-Mauro and Lorie Ellis worked on this study.

Martek funded the study, and two clinical trials evaluating DHA are under way. The first trial, sponsored by Martek and the National Institute on Aging and conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, is examining the effects of DHA in slowing the progression of cognitive and functional decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The second trial, also sponsored by Martek, is evaluating the effects of DHA on age-related cognitive decline in healthy, older adults with mild memory complaints.

http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1594

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for April 20, 2007

Weather Conditions:

Temperatures generally rose across the Great Lakes basin this week finally bringing temperatures to near normal. Precipitation was minimal with some localized events providing about 0.25 inch of rain. Due to high pressure over northern Ontario look for favorable weather to continue, at least through the early part of next week.

Lake Level Conditions:

Presently, Lake Superior is 13 inches below its level of a year ago, while Lake Michigan-Huron is at the same level as it was last year.  Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 4 to 8 inches above last year�s water levels.  All of the Great Lakes, with the exception of Lake Erie, are forecasted to rise 2 to 3 inches over the next month.  Lake Erie is predicted to remain at the same level. During the next few months, Lake Superior is projected to remain well below its water level of a year ago, while water levels of the remaining lakes are expected to be similar or slightly above last year�s levels.  See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions:

Outflow from the St. Marys River is predicted to be well below average for April. Flows through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are also predicted to be lower than average this month. Flow in the Niagara River, as well as the St. Lawrence River, is expected to be above average.

Alerts:

Due to abnormally dry conditions on the Lake Superior basin over the last several months, | Lake Superior �s water level is currently below chart datum and is expected to remain below datum through September.  Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Ex-envoy warns of foreign threats to U.S. gun owners

Gun-control advocates want to use international treaties to restrict rights in U.S., former Ambassador John Bolton tells the NRA members here. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports gun owners should watch out for threats to their rights from overseas as well as at home, John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told 3,500 members of the National Rifle Association Saturday night at the Edward Jones Dome.

Proponents of gun control have turned to the international arena, he said. They hope to use international treaties that deal with small arms and light weapons to obtain to unwanted gun controls in this country, he said. "Had the NRA not come forward � one could only guess what our State Department bureaucracy would have done" on this issue, he said.

He pointed to a United Nations conference in 2001 on small arms and light weapons. Bolton said the United States' bottom line is that this country will not agree to anything that infringes on what he said was the constitutional right to bear arms. The international arena on gun control will become a bigger problem as the years go on, he said.

The United Nations instead should focus on nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, he said. Negotiations with these countries are more dangerous than productive, Bolton said. The United States should not make general contributions to the United Nations, Bolton said. Instead, he said, "We should pay for what we want and expect to get what we pay for."

VHS virus in Lake Michigan

By Kevin Naze

A deadly fish virus likely already in Lake Michigan has Department of Natural Resources lakeshore basin fisheries supervisor Paul Peeters of Sturgeon  Bay concerned.

�I don�t want to be Chicken Little, but the worst-case scenario is this could kill a lot of fish this year, and it could kill a lot of fish every year,� Peeters said. �The best-case scenario is that there�s a limited fish kill, limited species and limited duration � a flash in the pan.�

Peeters was talking about viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS. While it�s not a human health issue, the virus has caused major fish kills in the lower Great Lakes the past two years.

The DNR believes VHS is already in Lake Michigan. With the virus suddenly on the radar, samples from dead fish found in 2005 in Lake Huron were recently taken out of cold storage and found to be infected. One of the sites where dead fish were found was only about three miles from Lake Michigan.

Like the name implies, viral hemorrhagic septicemia causes bleeding. Dozens of fish species � yellow perch, muskies, walleyes, whitefish and salmon, to name a few � are susceptible. Some infected fish will develop antibodies and survive. However, after a period of time they may start shedding virus again, and spread the infection to others.

�We believe it can have severe economic impacts,� said DNR fisheries director Mike Staggs of Madison. �We�re trying to be proactive to slow or hopefully stop the spread inland.�

Beginning last week, Lake Michigan and Green Bay anglers and boaters have to abide by rules approved Wednesday in an emergency meeting of the Natural Resources Board.  That includes draining the livewells, bilges and bait buckets immediately after returning to the landing. Thus, minnows � a popular bait for bay perch, pike and walleyes � will not be able to be legally saved for another day.

�There�s probably going to be a lot of discretion used in enforcement of these regulations, but this is a serious issue,� Peeters said.  Staggs said the state can pass all the rules it wants, but it has to get the message out in a simple way that anglers and boaters will understand.

�We�ve got a $2.3 billion fishery in Wisconsin,� Staggs said. �I saw where a study on the Lake Winnebago system alone estimated the economic impact of fishing and boating there at $234 million annually. That�s basically one dam upstream from Green Bay, with a huge amount of trailer traffic.�

Eggs from Great Lakes walleyes, spotted muskies and suckers will not be taken in Wisconsin this year as a precaution. If the virus was present and infected a fish hatchery, all the fish would have to be destroyed and the

hatcheries disinfected. Losses would be in the millions of dollars.

Trout and salmon eggs have been disinfected for years with an iodine solution and will continue to done that way. Cold-water species like trout and salmon have eggs that aren�t sticky like cool-water species such as suckers, walleyes, pike and muskies. The DNR will be experimenting with a different type of solution this year to see if they can successfully disinfect cool-water species� eggs, Peeters said.

No steelhead are being passed upstream of the state�s egg collection facility on the Kewaunee River this spring, and local fishing clubs will not be able to use their �Walleye Wagons� to hatch fry.

The state has taken steps for many years to insure exotic invaders don�t get into hatcheries, Peeters said. Fisheries workers even have two sets of boots and outerwear � one for working inland, one for the Great Lakes � to reduce the risk of bringing problems into the hatchery system.

New rules approved this week also:

� Require that crayfish, frogs, fish or fish eggs used as bait be purchased from a Wisconsin bait dealer; or are captured legally in the water being fishing; or captured in an inland lake or stream and used in another inland lake or stream. Leeches, worms, and insects are OK.

� Allow dead fish, fish eggs, dead crayfish or dead frogs only on Lake Michigan, Green Bay and tributaries to the first dam; on the inland lake or stream where captured; when preserved by means other than refrigeration or freezing.

� Make it illegal in most cases to take live fish or fish eggs away from Lakes Michigan, Superior, the Mississippi River or any of the tributaries up to the first dam or barrier impassable to fish. There are some limited exceptions; contact a DNR office for information.

Some Great Lakes insiders believe the virus arrived in the form of frozen West Coast herring, a popular bait in Lake Ontario for decades. Others think it may have been brought in the same way so many exotic invaders have arrived � in the ballast water from ships, either from the water itself or small fish species taken in and then released.

There have been reports from some of the other Great Lakes that the virus only kills a small percentage of fish, but Staggs said it�s way too early to say VHS is not going to have a significant impact.

�What we�re proposing are emergency rules to buy us another active season of boating and fishing,� said Staggs. �I have no idea in the fish disease world what is permanent, but we hope to have something permanent by next year.�

Hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans now permanent

Annual recertification becomes one-time issue

SPRINGFIELD � Illinois Department of Veterans� Affairs (IDVA) Director L. Tammy Duckworth  last week announced that the annual free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans issued by IDVA will now be a one-time, permanent issue.  The new policy will save disabled veterans throughout the state the inconvenience of a yearly trip to renew their license, which includes transportation costs and time.

The free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans will be a one-time issue with no expiration date. Eligibility for the free hunting and fishing license remains the same: the veteran must have a service connected disability; be in receipt of a total United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) disability pension; or be in receipt of a military disability retirement pay and can present a letter from the

USDVA showing the veteran who would be entitled to VA compensation at a rate of 10% or greater if military pay was waived.  Out-of-state disabled veterans are also eligible for the license.  Those veterans drawing retirement pay only and have not applied to the USDVA for a service-connected rating, will not be issued a license until after the USDVA has made a service-connected rating.

The veteran must provide disability documentation that is no more than one year old to IDVA during the initial request for the license.  Only when the veteran provides proof of the disability or pension benefits, the license will be issued. 

Eligible veteran must visit one of the Veteran Service Offices for initial issuance.  A full list of the state�s Veteran Service Offices can be found on IDVA�s website at www.state.il.us/agency/dva  or by calling 1-800-437-9824.

Wisconsin inland fishing season opens May 5

Despite rollercoaster spring weather many game fish should have completed spawning

MADISON � Spring�s rollercoaster weather has been sending Wisconsin fish mixed signals, but it�s clear that the May 5 opening day of the regular inland fishing season should be another great time on the water, the state�s top fisheries official says.

�There�s a tradition to opening day that you just can�t beat, even though you can find great fishing at any time of the year in Wisconsin,� says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin�s fisheries director.

�Opening day is as much about being with friends and families and their traditions as it is about catching fish. This year�s a good year to take someone fishing who�s never been, or who hasn�t been fishing for a long time.�

Staggs, who was introduced to fishing by his father and grandfather when he was two, now continues the tradition by taking family and friends out on the water, particularly waters near his home by Poynette. More than 1.4 million people 16 and older are expected to buy fishing licenses this year in Wisconsin.

Green Bay perch

By Kevin Naze
Anglers hoping for an increase in the yellow perch daily bag limit on Green Bay will have to be satisfied with 15 fish for the time being.

Even with above-average perch recruitment much of this decade, biologists want to make sure the fish are surviving and can sustain a larger harvest before increasing the sport limit.

�The bag limit will go up in the coming years,� said Mike Donofrio, DNR fisheries supervisor at Peshtigo. �I�m not sure it�ll get to 50 (again).�

That was the daily bag limit until 1992, when it was cut in half. It was then slashed to 10 in 2001 before a five-fish raise last year.

The sport catch on Green Bay peaked at more than three million pounds in both 1990 and 1991, when unusual ice conditions and large numbers of fish allowed the estimated harvest of close to four million perch those two winters combined. By 2004, the sport harvest had declined to an estimated 77,132 fish, with only 20,360 being taken through the ice.

Good natural reproduction since 2002, including a record 2003 year class, is fueling the resurgence. Prior to recent hatches, the 1998 year class was the last one above average, the DNR said. The only other good year class in the 90s was in 1991.

Ten years later, biologists believed the lakewide yellow perch abundance had declined more than 90 percent from the late 1980s, when the population in the bay alone was estimated at 10 million pounds.

Many anglers were quick to blame predation by white perch and double-crested cormorants, but Donofrio said it�s possible it was something as simple as the poor year classes. More likely, he said, were a combination of factors. Things got so bad that the DNR implemented a two-month spring spawning closure in the mid-1990s, a rule that still stands.

Mark Maricque, a fifth-generation commercial fisherman from Green Bay, believes there are so many perch finning the waters of the bay right now that they�ll be wasted if not harvested soon.

�It�s no different than corn in the field or apples in the orchard,� Maricque said. �I don�t care how we get there, but both the sport and commercials should have an increase. It�s time to harvest.�
 

Maricque said he�s frustrated by a system that has been slow to react to the perch rebound.

�Some people say we�re greedy,� Maricque said. �We�re not greedy. We�re not asking for any more than the biological data says we should have.�

Maricque believes there are fewer than a dozen active perch netters in Green Bay, Marinette and Door County, and said wardens stop by at the dock to check the catch often. Compare that, he said, to thousands of sport anglers, many of whom have never been checked by a creel census clerk or warden.

�How do you monitor that?� Maricque said. �I know a lot of guys who hook-and-line fish, and it�s not us against them. But there are a lot more fish out there than what the current bag limit and quota allows. To me, that�s a waste of a resource.�

3,400 attend 2007 Spring Fisheries and Wildlife Rules Hearings

MADISON � Approximately 3,400 people attended the 2007 Spring Fisheries and Wildlife Rules Hearings and Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings that were held in every county statewide on Monday, April 16. The hearings allow citizens to comment and vote on proposed fish and wildlife rule changes, Conservation Congress and Natural Resources Board advisory questions, and to submit resolutions for rule changes they would like to see in the future.

Statewide hearing results of the votes, which will be presented to the state Natural Resources Board in May, are available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site. County by county results, along with a precise attendance figures, will be available at a later date.

�Hearing results, along with written comments on proposed rules, and DNR recommendations are used to advise the state Natural Resources Board. This year�s results will be reviewed at the board�s May 23 meeting in Menomonie,� said Kurt Thiede, DNR liaison to the Conservation Congress. �Votes are non-binding and are presented to the Natural Resources Board to reflect public sentiment on proposed DNR rule changes.�

DNR fish and wildlife managers will spend the next several weeks analyzing the vote tallies and developing recommendations they will present to the board in May.

The hearings are held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings. DNR related proposals are presented to attendees by DNR staff. Following DNR business, the meeting is reconvened as a Conservation Congress meeting and congress advisory questions are presented and county congress delegates elected. The congress is an advisory body to the Natural Resources Board. During the congress� portion of the hearing, citizens may introduce resolutions for consideration and vote by those

attending the hearings.

Among proposed rules discussed at the spring hearings, attendees voted 2,479 to 1,048 in favor of reducing the number of turkey management zones from 46 to seven. This would, according to wildlife managers, give hunters more options for hunting locations and simplify the permit application process.

Other hunting-related proposals that proved popular with attendees were requiring portable ground blinds placed on public lands to display blaze orange on all four sides (passed 2,626 to 886) and that ground blinds display customer ID or name and address of the owner if left unattended on public lands (passed 2,174 to 1,057).

Seven separate proposals regarding changes to boundaries of open and closed waterfowl hunting areas on the Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge were rejected by hearing attendees. DNR wildlife managers and conservation law enforcement officials had proposed changing state boundaries to match recent federal closed area changes in order to avoid confusion among hunters. Department officials indicated that they will consider the proposals and the vote as they prepare a recommendation for the Natural Resources Board.

A proposal to eliminate maximum size restrictions for landing nets proved popular with voters and passed 2,769 to 717, and another fishery proposal to increase the minimum length limit for musky caught on the St. Louis River and St. Louis Bay to 50 inches passed 2,101 to 895.

Two advisory questions asked by the Natural Resources Board on regulating use of lead shot for upland hunting had mixed results. Voters approved 1,740 to 1,591 a proposal to require use of non-toxic shot for dove hunting on DNR managed lands but voted disapproval of requiring use of non-toxic shot for all bird hunting other than turkey on DNR managed lands by a vote of 1,506 to 1,850.