Bear bile fact and science

1. Bear bile…fact and science

3. I’ll try not to bore you to death But there is no escape from a bit of chemistry.

5. Lest we forget what we are made of:

6. And we also contain electrical systems.

7. And of course there is plumbing.

8. Formation of bile: Synthesized by liver cells As bile flows in the liver water and electrolytes are added Bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder When needed, it flows through the common bile duct into the duodenum, a part of the small intestine

10. Functions of bile: Emulsify (dissolve) large fat globules Help transport fat across intestinal wall Helps in elimination of bilirubin, a product of heme (broken down blood red cells) Helps in elimination of excess cholesterol

11. The composition of bile: 97.5% water 1.1% bile salts .1% cholesterol .12% fatty acids .04% lecithin .14% Electrolytes (Na, K, Ca, Cl, HCO3)

13. What are bile acids: They are formed from cholesterol They include cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid And ursodeoxycholic acid

15. More on bile acids. The primary bile acids, cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), are synthesized from cholesterol Secondary bile acids, including deoxycholate and lithocholate, are formed in the colon Another secondary bile acid, found in low concentration, is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a stereoisomer of CDCA.

17. UDCAUrsodeoxycholic acid We now have arrived at an important point in this talk, please wake up now.

18. M OST BILE ACIDS LOVE FAT

19. UDCA LOVES WATER, HATES FAT

20. UDCA is very different from the other bile acids It is hydrophilic The others are lipophilic

21. UDCA Because it loves water it doesn’t dissolve cell membranes. It protects liver cells from the effects of the other bile acids.

22. Ursus is Latin for bear.

23. UDCA Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is more abundant in bear bile than in any other mammal.

24. We don’t know why bears have so much UDCA You and I have 5% Bears can have 40% (These numbers are variable)

25. Let’s think about the last slide. UDCA protects liver cells. Helps prevent gallstone formation. It’s the WD40 of the biliary system. Bears have increased UDCA. They do not suffer ill effects from prolonged immobilization. What would happen if we stayed in bed for months on end?

26. Bears hibernate Without loss of bone mass Without loss of muscle mass Without loss of kidney function Without loss of neurological function It’s amazing

27. Bear biologists know that the normal effects of inactivity, such as bone loss or muscle atrophy, do not occur in hibernating bears.  When this process is completely understood, it may lead to advances in human medicine that will improve health and even save lives.

28. This animal…is truly amazing.

29. All life is a miracle of biology.

30. UDCA was introduced into modern medical practice in the 1970’s. How this happened is not clear, but it appears that the earliest reports were from Japan.

31. Keep this in mind: no other component of bile has ever been shown to have any beneficial effects in humans. UDCA appears to be the unique therapeutic component of bear bile. It’s not just an observation. It makes sense when you consider the biochemistry.

32. This is a powerful concept. This concept will help eliminate bear farming.

33. Once again, the properties of UDCA protection of injured cholangiocytes against toxic effects of bile acids stimulation of impaired biliary secretion stimulation of detoxification of hydrophobic bile acids inhibition of apoptosis of hepatocytes

34. What is apoptosis? Programmed cell death is called apoptosis

35. Is UDCA the fountain of youth…

36. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

37. Current uses for UDCA Primary biliary cirrhosis Primary sclerosing cholangitis Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis Gastric bypass surgery

38. What these diseases have in common: Loss of normal bile duct architecture Abnormal bile flow Destruction of normal liver cells with fibrosis and scarring Cirrhosis Liver Failure

39. There is also evidence of neuro-protective properties (experimental) Stroke Huntington’s disease Alzheimer’s disease Retinitis pigmentosa (the eye is neural tissue)

40. Acute Myocardial Infarction

41. Steer et al.

42. WOW! Can bears hibernate because of UDCA? I don’t think we know.

43. Should we all take UDCA? Should we buy stock in companies that produce pharmaceutical UDCA?

45. Which brings us back to bear bile.

46. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

47. TCM indications for bear bile: Applied topically for painful throat, sores, and hemorrhoids Epilepsy with convulsions To clear the liver To brighten the eyes (as drops)

48. Bile is not essential in TCM. Historically not important. Historically not widely available. Its use is not endorsed by many. Its use is actually discouraged by many. Much of the use has probably been built by the bile industry, which includes farms, factories, distributors and stores.

49. From a contemporary source:

50. Do the indications for bile use in TCM relate to its pharmacology?

51. Some facts about bear bile preparations: Farmed bears have inflammation and thickening of the gall bladder. They have recurrent intra-abdominal infections. They have a high rate of liver cancers. The collection systems are not sterile. The lack of normal feedback mechanisms change the composition of the bile.

52. More facts about bile preparations: The techniques for collecting, storing and preparing the end product appear to be quite variable. The actual composition of the medicinal is not specified on the label, i.e. amount of active drug, other ingredients, etc. Many preparations have been approved by the SDA, but the amount of oversight in this approval is suspect.

53. Some concerns about bile medicinals: They may contain pus, debris, skin, and other impurities. The amount of UDCA is not specified. They may contain toxic materials. Some of these products have been shown to contain other animal bile.

54. The properties of a pharmaceutical: Purity Potency (active drug) Provenance Safety Pricing

55. Is natural better?

56. Does bear bile have a place in TCM? For those taking bile to obtain benefits that are specific to UDCA: absolutely not! For those taking bile for non-specific indications, there are other agents that are endorsed by TCM practitioners. Either way the answer is unequivocal. TCM can benefit from this knowledge. Patients can benefit from this knowledge.

57. Benefits of eliminating bile use: Patient benefit through active drug ingestion in consistent dosage. Elimination of animal cruelty. Possible recovery of the Asiatic black bear and other critically endangered species. Improvement in the international image of those countries who sanction bear farming.

58. One last thought on TCM: “Finally there will be those who refer to special elements of bile that cannot be reproduced in any pharmaceutical. With that in mind we wonder how the confinement, pain, and untimely death of the farm bear affect the healing properties that are attributed to it’s bile. The chi of a bear subjected to these conditions must be weak indeed.”

59. The use of bear bile violates the underlying principles of any system of health and healing.

61. Don’t worry, we’re almost finished.

62. How is UDCA produced?

64. The pharmaceutical companies are: Novartis (International) Dr.Falk Pharma (German) Axcan Pharma (Canadian based) Mitsubishi Pharma (Japanese)

65. How much Urso is sold? Axcan reported 77.1 M dollars in North America Sold as Urso 250 and Urso Forte These contain 250 mg and 500 mg Urso respectively Cost to patient and $8.50 per day About 25,000 patients taking the drug every day

66. I hope that pharmaceutical grade UDCA will, one day, completely replace the use of bear bile.  When this happens, bear farms will longer have a use.  

67. Jasper…

68. …thanks you for your attention!

69. I thank you for your time, interest, and commitment to this important cause.

70. Eric H. Busch M.D.