TK6: BODY BIOCHEMICAL 3 TEST KIT
Complement system:
“a series of 11 chemicals always present in the blood stream.
They can create a chain reaction, each one becoming activated and then activating the next member in the chain.
Each activated complement component does something to help eliminate the enemy.
Some chemicals dilate blood vessels;
others can destroy the membranes of bacterial cells . . .
Some of these attract. . . [granulocytes] . . . into battle.
These cells are extremely important, being our best eaters and destroyers of bacteria.”
Reference: Body At War by John Dye
Code
Name
Type
Location and Role
Comments
BB 51
n-Acetyl-
DGlucosamine
Builds and maintains the matrix of collagen and connective tissue that forms the ground substance of cartilage.
Inflammatory bowel disease;
Crohn’s disease.
BB 52
Anandamide
Neurotransmitter
Pain control; may be used by the brain as a central fine-tuner of electrical activity; inhibits movement; involved with mood; short term memory;
male fertility (high levels slow speed of sperm); acts as a chemical messenger between the embryo and uterus during implantation of the embryo in the uterine wall;
may control coughing and various respiratory functions; may increase appetite.
Also known as “the bliss molecule” (ananda is Sanskrit for bliss) and the body’s own cannabis (cannabis binds to the same receptors as anandamide);
chocolate contains anandamide; may be involved in Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, drug addiction, schizophrenia, autism and Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome.
BB 53
Collagen
Type I
90% of the collagen in human body;
present in bone, skin (associated with type III collagen) and tendons.
In foetal and diseased tissue, type I collagen has been reported as having a different structure.
BB 54
Collagen
Type II
30% of hyaline and elastic cartilage is composed of type II collagen; present in inter-vertebral discs and the vitreous body of the eye
BB 55
Collagen
Type III
The major collagen found in skin, blood vessels and internal organs such as the smooth muscle layers of the gastrointestinal tract.
BB 56
Collagen
Type V
A minor collagen as it is present in less than 10% of the total collagen in any tissue; usually found with type I collagen and type III6 collagen in bone, tendon, cornea, skin, blood vessels and lungs;
during foetal development, basement membranes originally contain type V collagen before being replaced to type IV collagen.
BB 57
Complement
C3*
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response; turned into complement 3b which enhances phagocytosis (ingestion and destruction of cell debris, microbes and other foreign matter);
most abundant of complement proteins.
Low levels of C3 often seen in gram negative septicemia, shock, upus, fungal infections and some parasitic infections such as malaria;
increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
BB 58
Complement
C5a*
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response;
contributes to the development of inflammation by dilating arterioles and causing release of histamine.
Increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
BB 59
Complement
Factor B*
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response;
activates complement C3 and so the immune response.
Increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis
BB 60
Complement
Factor D*
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response;
activates complement C3 and so the immune response
Increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
BB 61
Complement
Factor I*
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response; recognises repetitive sugar structures found in cell membranes of bacteria and viruses but not in humans;
triggers reactions that activate complement C3 and C5 and so the immune response.
Increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
BB 62
Complement
Factor P*/
Properdin
Protein
Part of non-specific immune response;
activates complement C3 and so the immune response.
Increased complement activity seen in cancer and ulcerative colitis;
decreased complement activity in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
BB 63
Elastin
Protein
With fibrillin forms elastic fibres which are strong but can be stretched up to 150% of
their relaxed length without breaking;
form a network within tissues particularly skin, blood vessel walls and lung tissue.
With age thickens, fragments and acquires an affinity for calcium so may also be associated with development of atherosclerosis.
BB 64
Erythropoietin/
EPO
Hormone
Produced by kidneys;
formed from a plasma protein, stimulates red blood production
Increased blood levels in anaemia.
BB 65
Exendin
(9-39)
Peptide
Reduces glucose levels;
competes for the same brain receptors as GLP1 and so blocks the effect of GLP1 and stimulates appetite.
Has been shown to acutely increase food intake and promote weight gain in long-term rodent studies;
influence on type 2 diabetes.
BB 66
Glucagon-Like
Peptide 1/
GLP1
Hormone
Produced in intestinal endocrine cells;
stimulates production of insulin; inhibits production of glucagon and gastric emptying; reduces appetite;
lowers blood glucose in people with diabetes.
Biological activity is arrested by Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV.
BB 67
Glucosamine6-
phosphate
The form that occurs in the body; “glues” structures together; forms an integral part of cell membranes;
influences cell to cell communication;
important for joint surfaces, tendons, ligaments, synovial fluid, skin, bone, nails and mucus secretions of the
digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts.
mportant in osteoarthritis and cartilage health generally;
the supplement glucosamine sulphate may be used when the body is short of this.
BB 68
Glutathione
Peroxidase
Enzyme
Involved in conversion of hydrogen peroxide within the body;
protection against free radical damage;
reduces the production of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
Children with asthma have significantly reduced blood levels;
may be involved in schizophrenia; levels reduced if selenium deficiency.
BB 69
Nociceptin/
Orphanin FQ2
Neuropeptide
Present in many areas of the CNS;
believed to play a role in pain transmission;
amplifies pain and enhances harmless stimuli into painful sensations.
BB 70
Nocistatin
Peptide
Counteracts the effect of nociception.
BB 71
Orexin B
Neuropeptide
Generated when blood sugar levels drop, so acting as a trigger to eat.
People who over-eat may possibly produce too much orexin; lack of orexin has been linked to narcolepsy (sleep disorder characterised by sudden sleeping).
BB 72
Phosphatidylinositol
Important component of biological membranes; supervises division of cells and metabolism.
In some skincare products and lipsticks.
BB 73
Superoxide
Dismutase/
SOD
Enzyme
Antioxidant produced naturally in the body;
combats the damage to cells caused by the superoxide radical.
Supplementation of SOD has been shown to exert strong regenerative effects on tissues that have become hardened or fibrotic because of age, disease, or injury;
may be anti-ageing.
BB 74
Tumour Necrosis
Factor Alpha
Protein
Produced by macrophages, which engulf and destroy bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances;
role in regulating inflammatory and immune responses throughout the body and particularly in relation to some parasites.
Asthma, eczema, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer;
may be involved in septicaemia, and the weight loss associated with parasitic infection or cancer.
BB 75
Ubiquitin/
APF-1
Essential for protein degradation and cell cycling; DNA repair;
cellular stress responses; various enzymes attach ubiquitin to body proteins;
these enzymes are known as ubiquitin ligases;
when a protein bears many ubiquitin molecules, it is targeted for degradation by the proteasome, a huge enzyme complex;
when few ubiquitins are attached, they may serve structural, regulatory, or trafficking functions.
References:
Linda Lazarides Nutritional Health Bible
Thomas A Scott & E Ian Mercer ConciseEncyclopedia Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
William H Elliott & Daphne C Elliott Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
British Medical Association the BMA Complete Family Health Encyclopedia
Gerard Tortora and Sandra Reynolds Grabowski Principles of Anatomy & Physiology
Candace Pert Molecules of Emotion
William F Ganong Review of Medical Physiology
Lamberts Review: Glucosamine Sulphate
Various web sites ~ using www.copernic.com as the search engine;
the web site www.the-scientist.com was particularly useful
Some information supplied by R A Holding DO