status report - Office of Dietary Supplements - National Institutes of ...

• Sha, S-H. and Schacht, J. (1998) Are aminoglycoside antibiotics excitotoxic? NeuroReport
9:3893-3895.
• Song, B.-B., Sha, S-H. and Schacht, J. (1998) Iron chelators protect from aminoglycosideinduced
cochleo- and vestibulotoxicity in guinea pig. Free Radical Biol. Med. 25:189–195.
• Lautermann, J. and Schacht, J. (1996) A sensitive animal model to assess acute and chronic
ototoxic effects. Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 122:837–840.
• Song, B.–B. and Schacht, J. (1996) Variable efficacy of radical scavengers and iron chelators
to attenuate gentamicin ototoxicity in guinea pig in vivo. Hear. Res. 94:87–93.
The Effect of Dietary Supplements on the Impact of Infectious Diseases on the Oral Cavity, A
Workshop
The ODS is funding a workshop in conjunction with the National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research that will focus on the role of dietary supplements known to prevent or
lessen oral infections. The scientific topics to be discussed will include optimal timing, dose, and
potential side effects of dietary supplements related to infection. Starting date: 1999.
PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
International Workshop to Evaluate Research Needs on the Use and Safety of Medicinal
Herbs, A Workshop
The ODS co-sponsored a workshop at the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS) to identify and evaluate the major issues and key gaps in scientific research to
assure the safety of medicinal herbs. Topics included the benefits and risks associated with
medicinal herbs, issues of methodology and product standardization, and a panel discussion with
participants from ODS, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the
Food and Drug Administration, and other government, professional, and public interest groups.
Proceedings and a summary of the workshop will be published in an upcoming issue of the
NIEHS journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. Workshop held: September 22-23, 1998,
Research Triangle Park, NC.
Metabolic, Endocrine and Gastrointestinal Disorders in Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS, A
Workshop
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the ODS co-sponsored a workshop to bring
together scientists to discuss significant new research on nutrition and the immune system,
specifically as they relate to disorders associated with drug abuse and HIV-infected individuals.
Topics included various aspects of dietary supplements (both micronutrients and macronutrients)
and their impact on the health of HIV-infected individuals, potential interventions, and
recommendations for future research. The proceedings will be published in the Journal of
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and a separate summary of this workshop will be
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Workshop held: August 3-4, 1998,
Bethesda, MD.
Nutritional and Health Benefits of Inulin and Oligofructose, A Conference
The ODS co-sponsored an international conference to review and assess current scientific
evidence on the health benefits and physiological functions of inulin and oligofructose, which are
fructose polymers that function in the storage of carbohydrates in plants. These compounds,
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