X-Message-Number: 24433
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 09:35:31 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: re: epithalamin (in Skrecky's msg 24429)

Hi Cryonetters!

One of the main substances discussed by the paper discussed by Doug
Skrecky is epithalamin. I am now (in the middle of other things,
so I'm now pretty busy) preparing an Update to the melatonin 
chapter of my book A GUIDE TO ANTIAGING DRUGS. There are other
Updates on the way, too. However epithalamin does pass the test
I use for discussion in a full chapter: there is an animal 
experiment with a healthy mammal (sorry, Skrecky, but fruit 
flies aren't mammals) which shows a lifespan increase. Thymalin
also has such an experiment, and I hope to provide an Update
which will give one more chapter to the book. This may take
longer; a lot of the work on Thymalin (actually a trade name)
is in Russian, which I can't read. There is a english book
on both and generally on antiaging peptides which I have
sent for and hope to eventually receive: both sending and
receiving were by ordinary mail and may take a while.

Epithalamin doesn't get its own full chapter because it's
closely related to melatonin --- for the same reasons as I
did not devote a chapter to each of the antioxidants which
passed my test.

Incidentally, the test of these drugs on human subjects is interesting.
However it isn't as strong as a full lifespan test. Suppose that the
same test, using a similar fraction of the lifespan of mice, were done
on a population of mice. Certainly such a test would SUGGEST that
the drug would increase the full lifespan of the mice, but not prove it.

Right now I'm busy with the next issue of PERIASTRON. I will
send a message to Cryonet, which I hope will duly appear on
Cryonet, telling when the Updates are ready. The last Update
was in 1999; even though lots of research continued on 
aging, lifespan tests passing my criterion have been rare. 
But now we have something.

             Best wishes and long long life to all,

                  Thomas Donaldson

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