# Green tomato extract - bit of a long read!



## Guest (Nov 22, 2005)

The active compound in Endothil[TM]-CR is a potent and specific natural product that activates the cells lining blood vessels to form new capillaries. Exercise stimulates new blood vessel formation, and the active green tomato compound in Endothil enhances this process. A combination of Endothil's core compound and exercise produces more muscle growth and increased strength than that achieved with exercise alone. Laboratory studies show that the active compound in Endothil is able to "turn on" the cellular machinery required to form new blood vessels. Clinical studies prove that in conjunction with exercise, the active core Endothil compound can produce a significant increase in upper and lower body strength as well as biceps circumference compared to exercise alone.

The story of green tomato extract (GTE) begins in 1981, when scientists first reported that GTE modified endothelial cells, the cells which line the inside of blood vessels. (1) Endothelial cells provide a number of essential functions to maintain blood circulation, including preventing blood from leaking out of blood vessels, controlling blood clotting, regulating blood flow, and generating new blood vessels. (7) Upon exposure to GTE, endothelial cells changed shape and began to show signs of a change in function and activity. (2,3,4,5,6)

Based upon the observations that GTE affected endothelial cells and that endothelial cells control a number of essential physiologic processes, experiments were performed to determine the mechanisms by which GTE affected endothelial cell function. Using endothelial cells from the pulmonary arteries of calves and grown in a laboratory, GTE in extremely low concentrations caused endothelial cells to synthesize DNA and to proliferate. These effects were mediated by stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on endothelial cells. (8) The finding that GTE is able to stimulate endothelial cell proliferation suggested that GTE might be useful as a method to increase blood vessel growth and that this could help the body repair damaged tissues and speed up wound healing. (9) In fact, subsequent experiments confirmed that GTE increased blood vessel sprouting and growth, termed angiogenesis, (10) and accelerated wound healing. (11)

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels are formed. Stimuli such as hypoxia (decreased amounts of oxygen) and inflammation, acting through a variety of growth factors, stimulate endothelial cells to proliferate and travel to sites in the body where additional blood flow is needed. (12,13) The effects of angiogenic stimuli to make endothelial cells divide, migrate, and form new blood vessels is mediated in part by GTE. The effects of GTE on endothelial cells results from GTE activating a specialized receptor located in the endothelial cell outer membrane, the alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. (14) To understand the process by which GTE alters endothelial cells, imagine that GTE is a key and that the alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is a lock. When the key is inserted into the lock, the process of angiogenesis is initiated. Now imagine that endothelial cells are able to both manufacture additional locks and make it easier for GTE to open these locks; this process is called receptor upregulation. Making more locks that are easier to open facilitates upregulation; endothelial cell are activated to start the process of angiogenesis. In areas of hypoxia and inflammation, GTE upregulates alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors so that endothelial cells can form new blood vessels. Combining hypoxia with GTE results in a marked upregulation of alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, an effect in excess of either agent individually.

In addition to the effects of GTE described above, GTE has other curious effects on endothelial cells. Receptors can not only be upregulated; they can also be downregulated. Again, imagine that a receptor is a lock and upregulation represents an increase in both number of receptors and ease with which GTE, the key, is able to unlock them. Downregulation represents the opposite process, in which the number of receptors is decreased and they are harder to unlock. The alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is downregulated by high concentrations of compounds similar to GTE. (15) However, low concentrations of GTE do not have this effect. (16) Another dose response effect of GTE on endothelial cells is the action of GTE to increase the number and activity of the cells which give rise to endothelial cells. At very low concentrations, GTE increases the number of endothelial precursor cells as well as their ability to migrate and form new blood vessels. At high concentrations, GTE had the opposite effect and destroyed endothelial precursor cells. (17)

Every cell in the body has built into it a mechanism for self-destruction. The process by which a cell destroys itself, or programmed cell death, is called apoptosis. Apoptosis is the opposite of cell proliferation. Not only does GTE stimulate endothelial cell proliferation, at very low concentrations it also inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis. (10) The net result is enhancement of new blood vessel formation. In summary, GTE at very low concentrations acts on the cells lining blood vessels, the endothelial cells, to stimulate these cells to proliferate and migrate, resulting in new blood vessel formation, a process termed angiogenesis.

Now, let's turn our attention from the molecular and microscopic effects of GTE to the body's organs. When buck deer grow new antlers in the spring, the blood supply to the antlers increases. (18) Growth of an organ, such as a buck's antlers, requires additional nourishment and that means additional blood flow. The skeletal muscles of endurance-trained humans represent another example of organ growth requiring additional blood flow. (19)

Stimulating the skeletal muscle of rabbits, (20) cats, (21) and rats (22) with electrodes for one month causes a 100% increase in new blood vessel formation. The mechanism by which increased muscular activity from electrode stimulation stimulates blood vessel growth appears to be due to increased blood flow to the stimulated specific muscle. (23) How does increased blood flow make new blood vessels grow? Answering this question requires a brief return to the perspective of endothelial cells grown in the laboratory. Endothelial cells proliferate when they are exposed to shear stress, (24) stretching, (25) and straining (26). Human endothelial precursor cells grown in the laboratory and exposed to shear stress align themselves parallel to the direction of the stress and begin to proliferate. This process of proliferation involves upregulation of the receptors for a number of cell growth factors. The net result is a formation of new blood vessel-like structures. Endothelial cells not exposed to shear stress do not show these changes. (27) From these observations, it is safe to conclude that blood vessel growth in normal adult skeletal muscle is triggered by the mechanical effects of increased blood flow acting on endothelial cells. (28)

These animal and laboratory observations parallel findings in humans. In a study of 19 subjects with stable coronary artery disease, moderate exercise training for 28 days resulted in a significant increase in the number of endothelial precursor cells in the blood, as well as reduced endothelial precursor cell apoptosis. (29) Even a single exercise session will increase the number of circulating endothelial progenitor and angiogenic cells. 22 normal adult volunteers had blood samples drawn before and after a single session of exhaustive dynamic exercise. The number of circulating endothelial precursor cells increased four-fold, while the number of circulating angiogenic cells increased 2.5-fold. (30)

LET'S SUMMARIZE THESE DBSERVATIONS:

* GTE at very low concentrations causes endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis.

* GTE's effects on endothelial cells are synergistic with the effects of other factors, such as hypoxia, which cause endothelial stem cells to proliferate.

* Physical exercise causes endothelial cells to proliferate.

* Endothelial cell proliferation results in new blood vessel formation.

* New blood vessel formation parallels and is essential for muscle growth.

Accordingly, it is reasonable to propose that GTE in conjunction with exercise should result in enhanced muscle growth. Now, let's review the results of an experiment designed to test this hypothesis.

THE STUDY

In order to determine the effects of compound administration on muscle growth and strength in human, the following study was conducted.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

28 healthy adult males ages 30-55 who were enrolled in a weight-training program to build muscle mass were invited to participate in a study. All subjects were nonsmokers, on no medications, and in good health. Each subject had been enrolled in a weight-training program for at least one year. 14 subjects received the active compound and 14 subjects received a placebo pill identical in appearance. Both groups of subjects took one pill a day by mouth for six weeks. Weight training consisted of a three times per week exercise routine for six weeks.

MEASUREMENTS

A number of anatomic and functional measurements were obtained on each subject prior to starting and at the completion of the study. These measurements included height (as measured with a calibrated Health O Meter statiometer), weight (on a balance beam scale wearing light clothes and no shoes), body mass index (body mass index = weight (kg)/height (m)2), waist circumference (measured at the level of the umbilicus), biceps measurement (the circumference of the dominant biceps muscle measured at the middle of the muscle belly of the flexed muscle quadriceps measurement (circumference of the dominant thigh measured 4" above the kneecap while the subject is standing in a relaxed posture) body composition, and skin fold measurement. (31,32,33,34) All measurements were performed in duplicate. Upper body strength was measured by asking each subject to do 10 repetitions on a bench press or an incline barbell at the maximum possible weight at which they are able to complete the 10 reps. Lower body strength was measured by asking the subject to perform 10 repetitions a the maximum possible weight on a leg press or leg extensions machine. Both baseline and final pressed weights were recorded for upper and lower body strength. Compliance was determined by subtracting the number of capsules returned by the subject at the final visit from the number of capsules dispensed at the outset of the study.

RESULTS

After six weeks, the subjects who took the Endothil core compound had a significant (p<0.05) increase in both upper and lower body strength as well as in circumference of the biceps muscle. Specifically, the amount of weight bench pressed increased by 10 lbs. in subjects receiving the active compound compared to an increase of 5 lbs. in subjects receiving placebo. The amount of weight leg pressed increased 70 lbs. versus 20 lbs. in placebo treated subjects. The biceps circumference increased by 0.45 cm (1 inch) while subjects receiving placebo showed no increase in biceps circumference. There were no significant changes between the two groups in quadriceps circumference, % body fat, % lean body mass, weight, or body mass index.

SUMMARY

These findings confirm the hypothesis that the active compound in Endothil, in conjunction with exercise, produces a significantly greater increase in both upper and lower body strength and in biceps circumference than exercise alone. Based upon the observations from laboratory experiments, for the compound to have maximum effect it needs to be incorporated into an exercise routine. The exercise routine will have the most effect if it results in muscle metabolic changes that will provide a stimulus for new blood vessel growth. By augmenting exercise-induced new blood vessel growth, the active compound in Endothil synergizes with the metabolic effects of exercise to increase muscle size and strength.

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REFERENCES:

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Dr. Daniel B. Mowrey

COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2005)

Or you can just buy some tomatoes for one pound instead of spending $70 on endothil. its bullshit too. the ONLY way of recruiting more muscle fibres is through use of heavier weights. the ONLY way. if a muscle fibre is not needed to be used thn it will not be.

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