musk and Neoplasms

Musk, the dried secretion from the preputial follicles of the male musk deer (genus Moschus), possesses various pharmacological activities and has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Muscone is the main active ingredient of musk and exerts pharmacological effects similar to those of musk. Although muscone was notably used to treat various disorders and diseases, such as neurological disorders, chronic inflammation and ischemia-reperfusion injury, most of the mechanisms of the pharmacological action of muscone remain unclear because of slow progress in research before the 21st century. In recent years, the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of muscone have been clarified. The present article summarizes the pharmacological and biological studies on cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological effects, cancer and others and the associated mechanisms of the action of muscone to date.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Cycloparaffins; Deer; Ethnopharmacology; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Neoplasms; Odorants

Synthetic musks are widely used in various consumer products. The identification of nitro musks in human milk in the early 1990s in connection with evidence for cancerogenicity in animal experiments have caused public concern. However, the validity of previously reported quantitative data has been questioned. Polycylic musks have hardly been investigated so far. The present study aimed at providing accurate current data on the occurrence of nitro and polycyclic musks in human milk. Samples from 40 healthy breast feeding mothers were analysed under carefully controlled conditions avoiding secondary contamination. As in earlier studies, among the nitro compounds musk xylene and ketone were the most frequently detected substances. However, much lower concentrations (roughly by a factor of 10) were found (musk xylene: median 6.1 ng/kg fat). Among the polycylic musks HHCB was found in most samples (median 64 ng/kg fat). Scientific knowledge on possible routes of exposure and health risk aspects is summarized and discussed.

Topics: Adult; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Female; Food Contamination; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Milk, Human; Neoplasms; Nitro Compounds; Odorants; Polycyclic Compounds

Topics: Analgesics; Anesthesia, Local; Anesthetics, Local; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Experimental

Topics: Animals; Exocrine Glands; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Neoplasms; Rats

Topics: Animals; Biological Phenomena; Canada; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Neoplasms; Physiological Phenomena; Rats; Rodentia