Rich Murray: Karikas: aspartame binding to DNA:
Clinical Biochemistry July 1998 7.27.1 rmforall
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/689

"Measurement of Molecular Interaction of Aspartame and its
Metabolites with DNA"
Clinical Biochemistry, 31 (5); 405-7, July 1998
Manuscript received July 15 1997;
revised and accepted March 16, 1998.
copyright 1998 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
0009-9120/98

George A. Karikas, Pharm D, MD, Lab. of Organic Chemistry,
U. of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15771 Greece

George Kokotos, PhD, Assc. Prof., Lab of Organic Chemistry
http://www.chem.uoa.gr/personel/Laboratories/OrganicChem/CVS/kokotos.htm

gkokotos@... gkokotos@...
++301-7274462 fax ++301-7249101

Kleopatra H. Schulpis, MD, PhD
Pharmacokinetics and Parental Nutrition Unit
Institute of Child Health
"Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital npas@...
Thivon & Levadias Street GR-11527 Athens, Greece
(+30 1) 7467 000 fax: (+30 1) 7798 088
http://www.teleremedy.gr/Pages/Members/ag_sophia/aghia.htm

George J. Reclos, PhD R&D Diagnostics, Ltd
41, Eleftheriou Venizelou street, GR 15561, Holargos, Greece.
+30-1-6537307 fax: +30-1-6537357 & 6548284
reklos@... reklos@... reklos@...
http://www.rddiagnostics.com/
http://www.RdDiagnostics.com/cv/page4.html
Dr. George J. Reclos Curriculum Vitae

a recent report by this team:
Schulpis KH, Karikas GA, Georgala S, Michas T, Tsakiris S.
Elevated plasma homocysteine levels in patients
on isotretinoin therapy for cystic acne.
Int J Dermatol. 2001 Jan;40(1):33-6.
PMID: 11277950

[Summary quotes by Rich Murray rmforall@...]

Following amide and ester hydrolysis ASP is metabolized to
aspartic acid (Asp), methanol and phenylalanine (Phe) with
serum levels of all three metabolites increasing after
ingestion of modest amounts (1,2). Increases of serum Phe
levels have been of concern because of the pivotal role
played by Phe in the transport of precursors of
monoamide neurotransmitters into the brain.

Some findings have speculated that ASP molecule might
possess mutagenic potential effect...a promising candidate
to explain the increase in incident and degree of
malignancy of brain tumors (2,4).

In an attempt to reassess by in vitro experiments the
possible carcinogenic potential of ASP we measured its
direct molecular interaction with DNA by using a rapid
reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC) method (5-7), which has showed a good
correlation with brine shrimp toxicity and tumor inhibition
tests (5). Asp and Phe were also tested by the same method.
Additionally, a number of synthetic Phe analogues were
used in order to investigate the mechanism of ASP binding
to DNA.

[With regard to the third component, methanol, the previous month,
a radioactive tracer study proved that the methanol from a low dose of
of aspartame binds formaldehyde, a deadly cumulative poison, into
adducts of DNA, RNA, and proteins in many tissues:
Trocho C et al, June 26 1998, Life Sci, 63(5), 337-349.
http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html (full abstract below)]

Doxorubicin (Doxo) from Farmacia (1.0 mg/mL) was used
as a typical intercalating agent with major binding (100%) capability.

The column was equilibrated with a H20:MeOH (80:20) solution.
Test samples and DNA solutions were then introduced in a
ratio (1:1, v/v) into the sample loop (20 microL) without
incubation. The flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min and the
free DNA eluted from the column in approximately 1 min.
After the appearance of DNA peak, the column was later
washed wtih MeOH for 20 min to elute the sample mixture.
All samples were tested in triplicate. ASP and Doxo were
tested at three final concentrations
(0.12, 0.25, 0.5 mg/mL) versus DNA at a final
concentration of 0.05 mg/mL.

According to our method a fixed amount of ligand
is added to the elution solvent of the HPLC system
and a known quantify of DNA is then injected. This
results in a residual DNA peak (% DNA peak size
exclusion) where the exclusion of the peak is
proportional to the amount of bound ligand.

Table 1
Molecular Effect of Doxo and ASP on DNA

Compound (mg/mL) % DNA Peak Exclusion
(% DNA Bonding)

DNA
0.05 + Doxo 0.12 45.8+-5.4
0.25 100
0.50 100
ASP 0.12 11.3+- 3.4
0.25 39.8+- 6.1
0.50 65.5+-10.1

[So, doubling the amount of ligand roughly
doubles the % DNA bound, until 100% saturation
of the DNA.]

A moderate DNA molecular interaction, expressed as
almost 40% (39.8+- 6.1) DNA peak exclusion
was observed when ASP was tested with DNA
(0.05 mg/mL) at a final concentration of of 0.25 mg/mL.

Doxo performed a complete molecular DNA effect
(intercalation plus ionic interaction) (100% DNA
peak size exclusion) at concentration of 0.25 and
0.50 mag/mL.

Table 2
Molecular Effect of Phe and Related Compounds on DNA

Compound (mg/mL) % DNA Peak Exclusion
(% DNA binding)

DNA 0.05 + Phe 0.25 31.6+- 8.5
Asp 0.25 39.3+- 4.2
Ala 0.25 12.3+- 4.1
Z-Phe 0.25 0
I 0.25 100
Phe L-phenylalanine
Asp L-aspartic acid
Ala L-alanine
Z-Phe benzyloxycarbonyl-L phenylalanine
I 3-phenyl-1,2-propanediamine

A moderate DNA exclusion (39.3+- 4.2%) was found
when Asp (conc. 0.25 mg/mL) was tested with
DNA (0.05 mg/mL), whereas Ala performed only a
mild effect on DNA (12.3+- 4.1%) at the same
concentration. Benzyloxycarbonyl-L-Phe gave no
measureable interactions. On the contrary, the synthetic
analogue 3-phenyl-1,2-propanediamine exhibited
complete DNA peak exclusion (100%).

In general, there are three major classes of clinically
important DNA interactive substances: the
alkylators, which react covalently with DNA base,
the DNA strand breakers, which generate reactive radicals
that produce cleavage of the polynucleotide strands, and
the compounds that interact reversibly with DNA (10,11).

Intercalators and cationic polyamines exhibiting
electrostatic interactions are included in the third class.

The ionized amino group was close to the
deoxyribose phosphate chain suggesting that a
strong electrostatic interaction could take place between
the drug and the negatively charged DNA phosphate away
from the interaction site (10). Such phenomena were
successfully detected in previous experiments by using
cationic polyamines (6) and DNA photochemical adducts
(7) as well as in the present study expressed in the
% DNA peak exclusion.

Consequently, the potency of the phenomenon attributed to
ionic interactions is increased when the number of amino
groups increases (Table 2).

Although Shephard et al (13) found no detectable mutagenicity
of ASP and Phe by using other methods, structural modification
of DNA through covalent and noncovalent interactions have
significant functional consequences such as replication errors,
which could be among the events that start the cellular
processes ultimately yielding malignant tumors (14).
The hypothesis that structural transitions and condensations
in specific DNA sequences caused by polyamines may also
be related to nucleosome formations and the condensation
of DNA into chromatin is gaining experimental support.

In conclusion, these in vitro findings are of interest because
a widely used compound such as ASP along with its
metabolites gave a measurable molecular interaction with DNA.

These DNA effects are evaluated for the first time with a
considerable reproducibility and can serve as a useful
prescreen assay.

1. Partridge WM.
The safety of aspartame.
JAMP 1986; 256: 2678 (letter)

2. Janssen PJ, Heijden CA.
Aspartame: review of recent experimental and observational data.
Toxicology 1986; 50: 1-26.

3. Michals K, Azen C, Acosta P.
Blood Phenylalanine levels and intelligence
of 10 year old children with Phenylketonuria.
J Am Diet Assoc 1988; 88: 1226-9.

4. Olney JW, Farber NB, Spitznagel E, Robins LN.
Increasing brain tumor rates: Is there a link to aspartame?
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 1996 55/11: 115-23.

5. Gupta MP, Monge A, Karikas GA, et al.
Screening of panamanian medicinal plants
for brine shrimp toxicity, grown gall, tumor inhibition,
cytotoxicity and DNA intercalation.
Int J Pharmacognosy 1996; 34: 19-27.

6. Karikas GA, Constantinou V, Kokotos G.
An HPLC method for the measurement of polyamines
and lipidic amines binding to DNA.
J Liquid Chromatography 1997; 20(11): 1789-96.

7. Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Kokotos G,
Michas T, Georgala S.
Stoichiometric measurement of DNA damage
caused by 8-Methyl-Psoralen and UVA.
Clin Biochemistry 1997; 30(5): 439-42.

8. Aposhian HV, Kornberg A
Enzymatic synthesis of Deoxyribonucleic acid.
J. Biol Chem 1962; 237: 519-25.

9. Kokotos G, Constantinou V,
Modifid amino acids and peptides.
Part 2. A convenient conversion of amino and
peptide alcohols into amines.
J Chem Res (S) 1992; 391, and
J Chem Res (M) 1992; 3117-32.

10. Silverman RB.
The organic chemistry of drug design and drug action.
DNA 1992; 236-43.

11. Blackburn GM, Gait MJ, eds.
Reversible interactions of nucleic acids with small molecules.
In: Nucleic acids in chemistry and biology. Pp. 297-336.
Oxford: IRL Press, 1990.

12. Burley SK.
The TATA box binding protein.
Curr Opin Struct Biol 1996; 6: 69-75.

13. Shephard SE, Wakabayashi K, Nagao M.
Mutagenic activity of peptides and the artifical
sweetener aspartame after nitrosation.
Food Chem Toxicol 1993; 31/5: 325-9.

14. Wallace S, Van Heuten B, Kow YW.
DNA damage effecting DNA structure and
protein recognitions.
Ann NY Acad Sci 1994; 726: 18.
********************************************

Rich Murray: Aspartame Toxicity 7.27.1: Trocho 6.26.98 rmforall

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe NM USA 87505 505-986-9103

M.I.T. (physics and history, BA, 1964), Boston U. Graduate School
(psychology, MA, 1967): As a concerned layman, I want to clarify the
aspartame toxicity debate.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages for 690 posts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/657 45K post
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/658 20K post

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/652
Rich Murray: Smith: fibromyalgia & aspartame & MSG 6.27.1 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/689
Rich Murray: Karikas: aspartame binding to DNA:
Clinical Biochemistry July 1998 7.27.1 rmforall

Excellent 5-page review by H.J. Roberts in "Townsend Letter",
Jan 2000, "Aspartame (NutraSweet) Addiction"
http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html http://www.sunsentpress.com/
H.J. Roberts, M.D. HJRobertsmd@... sunsentpress@...
Sunshine Sentinel Press P.O.Box 17799 West Palm Beach, FL 33416
800-814-9800 561-588-7628 561-547-8008 fax
1038 page medical text "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic"
published May 30 2001 $ 85.00 postpaid data from 1200 cases
over 600 references from standard medical research
http://www.aspartameispoison.com/contents.html 34 chapters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/669
Rich Murray: Roberts:
"Aspartame Disease" 1038 page expert magnum opus 7.5.1 rmforall

http://www.mbschachter.com/aspartame.htm
"How Safe is the Artificial Sweetener, Aspartame?"
Michael B. Schachter, M.D., F.A.C.A.M.
Schachter Center for Complementary Medicine
Michael B. Schachter, M.D., F.A.C.A.M.
2 Executive Boulevard, Suite 202
Suffern, NY 10901. http://www.mbschachter.com/
914-368-4600 office@...

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel, Benevia) is reported by
scientific studies and case histories to be toxic: headaches* many
body and joint pains (or burning, tingling, tremors, twitching,
spasms, cramps, or numbness)* "mind fog", "feel unreal", poor memory,
confusion, anxiety, irritability, depression, mania, insomnia,
dizziness, slurred speech, ringing in ears, sexual problems, nausea,
seizures, poor vision, hearing, or taste* fever, fatigue* red face,
itching, rashes, burning eyes or throat, dry mouth or eyes, mouth
sores* hair loss* obesity, bloating, edema, poor or excessive hunger
or thirst, anorexia* coldness* diarrhea or constipation* breathing
problems* racing heart, high blood pressure, erratic blood sugar
levels* sweating* birth defects* brain cancers* addiction*
aggravates autism, ADHD, and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).

Almost all are typical of chronic methanol-formaldehyde toxicity:
for detailed review http://www.dorway.com/barua.html
Journal Of The Diabetic Association Of India
1995 Vol. 35, No. 4. Emerging Facts About Aspartame
Dr. J. Barua (ophthalmic surgeon), Dr. Arun Bal (surgeon)
(79 references) barua@...
"...the total amount of methanol absorbed will be approximately
10% of aspartame ingested. An EPA assessment of methanol states
that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate
of excretion once it is absorbed." The absorbed methanol is then
slowly converted to formaldehyde..."
"Reaction of formaldehyde with DNA has been observed,
by spectrophotometry and electron microscopy, to result in
irreversible denaturation."
"DKP has been implicated in the occurence of brain tumors."
.
Two teams find hot aspartame releases DKP:
Food Addit Contam 2000 Oct; 17(10): 821-7
Simultaneous formation and detection of the reaction product of
solid-state aspartame sweetener by FT-IR/DSC microscopic system.
Lin SY, Cheng YD
Biopharmaceutics Laboratory,
Department of Medical Research & Education
Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Shih-Pai, Taiwan,
Republic of China. sylin@...
and
J Pharm Sci 1998 Apr; 87(4): 508-13
Hydration and dehydration behavior of aspartame hemihydrate.
Leung SS, Padden BE, Munson EJ, Grant DJ
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455-0343, USA.
Sophie S. Leung, PhD
Dolores J. Grant, PhD grant1@...

A radioactive tracer study proves that the methanol from a low dose of
of aspartame binds formaldehyde, a deadly cumulative poison, into
tissues: Trocho C et al, June 26 1998, Life Sci, 63(5), 337-349.
http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html (full abstract below)

See also, re formaldehyde neurotoxicity:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/628
Rich Murray: Professional House Doctors: Singer: EPA: CPSC:
formaldehyde toxicity 6.10.1 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/645
Rich Murray: 18 recent formaldehyde toxicity [Comet assay] abstracts
6.25.1 rmforall

http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html dodd@...
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. russell@... 601-982-1175
"Excitotoxins, Neurodegeneration and Neurodevelopment"
The Medical Sentinel Journal Fall, 1999 , (95 references)

What many informed doctors are saying/have said about aspartame:
http://www.dorway.com/doctors.txt

Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, "Aspartame: Methanol, and the Public Health,"
Journal of Applied Nutrition, Volume 36, No. 1, pages 42-54, 1984.
(62 references) Professsor of Food Science
Director of the Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287
6411 South River Drive #61 Tempe, Arizona 85283-3337
602-965-6938 woody.monte@...
The methanol from 2 L of diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/can, is
112 mg, 10% of the aspartame. The EPA limit for water is 7.8 mg daily
for methanol (wood alcohol), a deadly cumulative poison. Many users
drink 1-2 L daily. The reported symptoms are entirely consistent
with chronic methanol toxicity. (Fresh orange juice has 34 mg/L, but,
like all juices, has 16 times more ethanol, which strongly protects
against methanol.) http://www.dorway.com/wmonte.txt

Lennart Hardell, M.D., PhD, in 1999 reported in Sweden that both
cell phone use and heavy aspartame use correlate with increased
brain cancers http://www.medscape.com/MedGenMed/braintumors
lennart.hardell@... +46 19 602 15 46

UPI reporter Gregory Gordon: 96K 3-part expose Oct 1987:
http://www.dorway.com/upipart1.txt

Users who quit often experience much immediate healing, but some
symptoms may last for weeks. Heavy users may suffer weeks of painful
withdrawal symptoms. Also avoid all forms of MSG (glutamate),
legally mislabeled as "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or even
"natural flavoring". Actually, all artificial sweeteners lack proof of
safety-- however, much safer are Splenda (sucralose) and saccharin.
It's fun to mix club soda with juices, poured over ice.
A long-used herbal sweetener, stevia, is entirely safe and
widely available. A corrupt FDA has refused to attest its safety:
http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/stv-alert.txt
http://www.dorway.com/stevia.html stevia, splenda, others

Read all labels!-- aspartame is in almost all diet sodas, many drink
mixes, instant breakfasts, cereals, cake mixes, cookies, yogurts,
puddings, jellos, chewing gums, breath mints, candies, toothpastes,
laxatives, even vitamins and medicines. Absorption through the skin in
the mouth may be especially strong, close to the brain.

In the USA alone, about 200 million use this ubiquitous product of a
billion-dollar industry, first approved by a corrupt FDA in 1974 and
1981. In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, and made Searle
Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.
In 2000 Monsanto sold off all its aspartame units.

If 1% of users have a problem with aspartame, that is two million in
the USA alone. Thousands of people complained to the FDA since 1981,
and in recent years on the Internet.

Ralph G. Walton, MD, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern Ohio
Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, Youngstown,
OH 44501, Chairman, The Center for Behavioral Medicine,
Northside Medical Center, 500 Gypsy Lane, P.O. Box 240 Youngstown,
OH 44501 330-740-3621 rwalton193@...
http://www.neoucom.edu/DEPTS/Psychiatry/walton.htm

"Seizure and mania after high intake of aspartame," 1986,
Psychosomatics, 27: 218-20:

An age 54 woman with 20 years of depression had been stable for 11
years with medication. She had a grand mal seizure, followed by
mania, insomnia, flight of ideas, and irritability. A brief
hospitalization and CT scan found no apparent cause. After three
weeks, this led to psychiatric hospitalization. Two days later,
it was found that during the several weeks before the seizure and
onset of mania, she had started using aspartame in place of sugar
in her iced tea, a gallon daily. Four days later, the mania subsided,
and 13 months later she continued to function well, and enjoying her
large amounts of iced tea, with sugar, not aspartame.

Three careful double-blind experimental studies prove aspartame
causes headaches: Koehler SM et al, 1988, Headache, 28(1), 10-14.
Shirley M. Koehler, PhD 904-858-7651 skoehler@...
http://www.med.umich.edu/abcn/alpha/alpha-K.html#Koehler

Walton RG et al, 1993, Biological Psychiatry, 34(1), 13-17.
Prof. Ralph G. Walton 330-740-3621 rwalton193@...

Van Den Eeden SK et al, 1994, Neurology, 44, 1787-93.
Steven K. Van Den Eeden, PhD 550-450-2202 skv@...
http://www.dor.kaiser.org/dorhtml/investigators/Stephen_Van_Den_Eeden.html

Arthur D Forman adforman@...
Associate Professor, Clinical Neuro-Oncology 713/794-1286
1515 Holcombe Blvd Box 0100 Houston, TX 77030

http://www.psy.tcu.edu/psy/barth.htm
Tmothy M. Barth Department of Psychology t.barth@...
Texas Christian University TCU Box 298920 Fort Worth, TX 76129
Chairman, Physiological Psychology 817-921-7410

David Edelberg, M.D
Rush Medical College Chicago, Illinois 60612
http://www.rushu.ush.edu/medcol/
medcol@... 312-942-6913
Dr. Edelberg has a long-standing interest in chronic illnesses that
have eluded conventional treatment, especially those prevalent in
people under age 60, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome,
migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia and back pain.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ Truth in Labeling Campaign [MSG]
Adrienne Samuels, PhD P.O. Box 2532 Darien, Illinois 60561
858-481-9333 adandjack@... "The Toxicity/Safety of Processed
Free Glutamic Acid (MSG): A Study in Suppression of Information"
Accountability in Research (1999) Vol 6, pp. 259-310

Health Press hlthprs@... 505-474-0303
http://www.healthpress.com/in-bad-taste.html
George R. Schwartz, M.D. drgschwartz@...
"In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex"
http://www.healingresearch.org/

Dr. Singer offers expert diagnosis, evaluation, advice, and
case summaries for the medical, insurance, and legal needs of
victims of the wide range of toxins in modern society, including
pesticides, mercury, MSG, fluoride, and aspartame.

http://members.aol.com/neurosite/
http://members.aol.com/DonationDrive/SingerPesticideNeuro.html
Singer, R. (1999, expected).
Neuropsychological evaluation of bystander exposure to pesticides.
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 9, 1.
Raymond M. Singer PhD, PA
36 Alondra Road / Santa Fe, New Mexico /87505
180 E. 79th Street Suite 1-C New York, N.Y. 10021
(505) 466-1100 Fax: (505) 466-1101 raysinger@...

Aspartame Victims Support Group [>250] and also Spanish translations
and Spanish egroup http://www.presidiotex.com/aspartame/

"The Dangers of Aspartame" discussion forum: many long reports by
Rich Murray: http://www.bevnet.com/bevboard/

Many long, referenced posts by Rich Murray are in the archive at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages

You may search among 11 million medical citations on PubMed for any
topic or author, and for many studies get an abstract summary:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
http://www.google.com accurate searches on anything and anyone
http://groups.google.com/ search millions of posts on news groups

Aspartame Toxicity Information Center Mark D. Gold
http://www.HolisticMed.com/aspartame 603-225-2100
"Scientific Abuse in Aspartame Research"
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/methanol.html
mgold@... 12 East Side Drive #2-18 Concord, NH 03301

Mission-Possible-USA Betty Martini 770-242-2599
http://www.dorway.com Bettym19@...
http://www.dorway.com/asprlink.html many links
http://www.dorway.com/nslawsuit.txt Jeff Martin, Attorney
UPI reporter Gregory Gordon: 96K 3-part expose Oct 1987:
http://www.dorway.com/upipart1.txt

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline [1987-2001]
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder & President
P.O. Box 780634 Dallas, TX 75378 .
214-352-4268 marystod@...
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/index.html
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/espanol.htm
Toxicology Sourcebook: "Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame"
Mary Nash Stoddard, author [Odenwald Press 1998]

Geoff.Brewer@... United Kingdom Mission Possible International
63 Downlands Road DEVIZES SN10 5EF Tel: 01380 728059
http://www.connectotel.com/missionpossible/

http://www.readthelabel.org.uk/ arthur@...
outstanding site by Arthur McBryan

http://www.aspartame.ca/ John T. Linnell admin@...
http://www.aspartame.ca/page_a10.html
Canadian Class Action Law Suit

http://allergies.about.com/health/allergies/library/weekly/aa012901a.htm

Adverse Reactions to Aspartame
Judy Tidwell allergies.guide@...

The great health advantages of a no-fat vegetarian diet are well
described by Dr. John A. McDougall at http:www.drmcdougall.com ,
which has copious scientific references and Net links, and at
http://www.vegsource.com

Here is research in 1998 at a very low level of aspartame ingestion,
10 mg/kg, for rats, which have a much greater tolerance for aspartame
than humans. The same level for humans would be about 1 or 2 mg/kg.
Many headache studies in humans used doses of about 30 mg/kg daily.
A daily dose of 2100mg aspartame, about 4 L diet soda, used in many
experimental tests on humans, supplies 210mg methanol into the body.
Many cases report a typical serious symptom syndrome at this level.

This report shows that aspartame causes binding of methanol's product,
formaldehyde, a potent, cumulative toxin, into tissues.

Life Sci June 26 1998; 63(5): 337-49 From PubMed
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue
components in vivo. ["Trok-ho"]
Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X,
Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M, Departament de Bioquimica i
Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Spain. http://www.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html

Sra. Carme Trocho, Sra. Rosario Pardo, Dra. Immaculada Rafecas,
Sr. Jordi Virgili, X. Remesar, Dr. Jose Antonio Fernandez-Lopez,
Dr. Maria Alemany Fac. Biologia
Tel.: (93)4021521, Fax: (93)4021559
alemany@... bioq@...
rafecas@... remesar@...
Sra. Carme Trocho Tel.: (93)4021544, Fax: (93)4021559

Abstract:
Adult male rats were given an oral dose of 10 mg/kg aspartame,
14C-labelled in the methanol carbon. At timed intervals of up to 6
hours, the radioactivity in plasma and several organs was investigated.
Most of the radioactivity found (>98% in plasma, >75% in liver) was
bound to protein. Label present in liver, plasma and kidney was in the
range of 1-2% of total radioactivity administered per g or mL, changing
little with time. Other organs (brown and white adipose tissues,
muscle, brain, cornea and retina) contained levels of label in the
range of 1/12th to 1/10th of that of liver. In all, the rat retained,
6 hours after administration, about 5% of the label, half of it in the
liver. The specific radioactivity of tissue protein, RNA and DNA was
quite uniform. The protein label was concentrated in amino acids,
different from methionine, and largely coincident with the result of
protein exposure to labelled formaldehyde. DNA radioactivity was
essentially in a single different adduct base, different from the
normal bases present in DNA.

The nature of the tissue label accumulated was, thus,
a direct consequence of formaldehyde binding
to tissue structures. The administration of labelled aspartame to a
group of cirrhotic rats resulted in comparable label retention by
tissue components, which suggests that liver function(or its defect)
has little effect on formaldehyde formation from aspartame and binding
to biological components. The chronic treatment of a series of rats
with 200 mg/kg of non-labelled aspartame during 10 days results in
the accumulation of even more label when given the radioactive bolus,
suggesting that the amount of formaldehyde adducts coming from
aspartame in tissue proteins and nucleic acids may be cumulative.

It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard
because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts.
PMID: 9714421, UI: 98378223

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/689
Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Reclos GJ, Kokotos G.
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Athens, Greece
http://www.chem.uoa.gr gkokotos@...
Measurement of molecular interaction of aspartame and
its metabolites with DNA. Clin Biochem. 1998 July; 31(5): 405-7.

Mark D. Gold has an excellent, detailed analysis, "Scientific Abuse in
Methanol / Formaldehyde Research Related to Aspartame" at:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/methanol.html#discussion

In short, biochemical evidence exists to motivate us to seriously and
respectfully consider anecdotal evidence of aspartame toxicity.

Mark D. Gold gives another detailed review, "Scientific Abuse in
Seizure Research Related to Aspartame", at:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/seizures.html .

"If the seizures from aspartame are caused by the combination of
methanol/formaldehyde and the excitotoxic amino acid from aspartame,
as I believe may be the case, it is important to note that methanol is
10 times more acutely toxic in humans than in rodents (Roe 1982), and
it takes five times more excitotoxins given to rodents to simulate
human ingestion (Olney 1988, Stegink 1979, page 90)."
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http://members.tripod.com/~mission_possible/scotland_branch.html
http://www.aspartame.ca/ Canada
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4578/ Canada
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/AspartaMalcache.htm
http://www.reseauproteus.net/therapies/nutritio/aspartame.htm
http://ww2.grn.es/avalls/aspa1.htm Spain
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Falls/8669/ Brazil
http://www.phd.com.br/aspartame.htm
http://hem.passagen.se/mission.possible.sweden/
http://home.online.no/~dusan/foods/aspartame.html Norway
http://www.ostara.org/aspartam/#anfang Germany
http://www.laleva.org/ Italy
http://www.laleva.org/alimenti/dorwayaspartame.html
http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/aspartame.htm Greece
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http://www.vegsource.com excellent diet info
http://www.mad-cow.org/ BSE/nvCJD mad cow disease
http://www.notmilk.com dairy toxicity
http://www.litopia.com/jplant/ Jane Plant on breast cancer
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/538 Plant
http://www.dorway.com aspartame toxicity
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ MSG toxicity
http://www.asomat.com/links/links-content.htm dental amalgam mercury
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/629 Boyd E. Haley
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz soy toxicity
http://www.thyroid-info.com Mary J. Shomon
http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk/ fluoride toxicity
http://www.electric-words.com/junk/junkindex.html junk science
http://www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/transcript.html Moyers on chemicals
http://www.comeclean.org reform chemical industry
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