X-Message-Number: 32071
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:05:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: rr ss <>
Subject: Death caused not by lack of oxygen but by reactions to droppi...



http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/09/cheating.death.suspended.animation/index.html


Scientists hope work with poison gas can be a lifesaver
Story Highlights

Theory: Death caused not by lack of oxygen but by reactions to dropping oxygen 
levels
Scientist says tiny amount of toxic hydrogen sulfide can stop cell death
Biologist hopes to create drug for use in conventional medical settings
Work inspired by death of researcher's young daughter
updated 3 hours, 35 minutes ago
Next Article in Health >

 
 

SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) --


The rat sniffs the air a few times, and within a minute, his naturally twitchy 
movements are almost still. On a monitor that shows his rate of breathing, the 
lines look like a steep mountain slope, going down.


At first glance, that looks bad. We need oxygen to live. If you don't get it for
several minutes -- for example, if you suffer cardiac arrest or a bad gunshot 
wound -- you die. But something else is going on inside this rat. He isn't dead,
isn't dying. The reason why, some people think, is the future of emergency 
medicine.


You see, Roth thinks he's figured out the puzzle. "While it's true we need 
oxygen to live, it's also a toxin," he explains. Scientists are starting to 
understand that death isn't caused by oxygen deprivation itself, but by a chain 
of damaging chemical reactions that are triggered by sharply dropping oxygen 
levels.


The thing is, those reactions require the presence of some oxygen. Hydrogen 
sulfide takes the place of oxygen, preventing those reactions from taking place.
No chain reaction, no cell death. The patient lives.  Watch more on how a 
scientist suspends animation >
'Cheating Death'


Hear about the medical miracles that are saving lives in the face of death, 
taken from Dr. Sanjay Gupta's new book "Cheating Death." 8 and 11 p.m. ET 
Saturday-Sunday on CNN.



etc

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