Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Lorenzo's oil
- This article is about Lorenzo's oil as a treatment for adrenoleukodystrophy. For the movie of the same name, see Lorenzo's Oil (movie).
Lorenzo's oil is a 4:1 mixture of oleic and erucic acid used in the preventative treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). A mixture of short chain fatty acids, Lorenzo's oil reduces the levels of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) known to cause ALD. It does so by competitively inhibiting the enzyme that forms VLCFAs.
While useful for delaying or, in some cases, eliminating the onset of ALD symptoms, Lorenzo's oil has not been clinically proven to be an effective countermeasure against the progression of ALD. It does however prevent the onset from ALD in boys who have no symptoms by half.
References
- Treatment of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy with Lorenzo's oil
- Lorenzo's oil, a program in the series "Medical Mysteries"
Last updated: 05-23-2005 22:49:54
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details