| PATENT ASSIGNEE'S COUNTRY | USA |
| UPDATE | 01.00 |
| PATENT NUMBER | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT GRANT DATE | 18.01.00 |
| PATENT TITLE |
Method for reducing the damaging effects of radiation therapy on animal skin and mucosa |
| PATENT ABSTRACT |
The severity of damage caused to the skin and mucosa of animals with cancer undergoing radiation therapy is mitigated by feeding the animal a nutritionally balanced food composition containing omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids which are supplemented with a mixture of a omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and arginine. |
| PATENT INVENTORS | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT ASSIGNEE | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT FILE DATE | 29.06.98 |
| PATENT REFERENCES CITED | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT PARENT CASE TEXT | This data is not available for free |
| PATENT CLAIMS |
What is claimed is: 1. A method for mitigating the damaging effects to normal skin and mucosa cells of a pet animal undergoing radiation therapy of malignant neoplasia comprising preparing a nutritionally balanced pet food composition comprising omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, supplementing the food composition with a mixture of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and arginine exposing the animal to radiation therapy and feeding the food composition to the animal at least during the period of time during which the animal is exposed to the radiation whereby radiation damage to the animals normal cells is mitigated. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are present in the food composition at a concentration of about 2.5 to abut 7.5% on a dry matter basis. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein arginine is present in the food composition at a concentration of about 2.0 to about 3.5% on a dry matter basis. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids present in the food is about 0.3:1 to 3.5:1. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the nutritionally balanced food has a fat content of about 27 to 35% on a dry matter basis, a carbohydrate content of about 15 to abut 27% on a dry matter basis and the weight ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids being in the range of about 0.3:1 to 3.5:1. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| PATENT DESCRIPTION |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of reducing damage to skin and mucosa in pet animals such as dogs and cats wherein the pet is afflicted with cancer and is subjected to radiation therapy, the method including a food composition to be used for this purpose. 2. The Prior Art Clinical radiation therapy in animals with cancer is known to induce biochemical changes in normal animal tissues and cells resulting in damage thereto. A need clearly exists for means to ameliorate the damage to a patient's normal tissues during radiation therapy. Previous methods of affording such amelioration include the administration to the patient of chemical agents which often have undesirable side effects on the patient. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is premised on the discovery that radiation damage to normal cells of animals with cancer undergoing radiation therapy can be reduced by fortifying the animal with a diet supplemented with a mixture of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids and arginine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The method of reducing the damaging effects of radiation therapy in animals with cancer, and particularly pet animals, pursuant to the present invention, is provided by feeding the animal undergoing such therapy with a food composition which contains omega-6 fatty acids as a nutrient and in which the nutrient content of the food is supplemented to contain on a dry matter basis about 2.5 to about 7.5% omega-3 fatty acids, and about 2.0 to about 3.5% arginine, the weight ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid in the food being in the range of about 0.3:1 to 3.5:1. It is particularly advantageous in the practice of the present invention that the nutrient content of the food composition used in the method contain about 27 to about 35% on a dry matter basis of fat and about 15 to about 27% on a dry matter of carbohydrate, the term "dry matter basis" when used herein meaning the nutrient content of the food product after moisture is removed. A food composition of this type is disclosed in co-pending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 08/544,421, which composition is effective in mitigating the severity of metabolic disturbances in animals with cancer. The art however has provided no link between feeding this food composition to animals with cancer to reduce metabolic disturbance and the reduction in damage to normal skin and mucosa cells when such animals, having been fed such food, are exposed to radiation therapy. The present invention is generally intended to apply to all forms of pet food including dry, canned or intermediate moisture pet food products, as these terms are recognized by those skilled in the art of pet food formulation and manufacturing, which foods conventionally contain omega-6 fatty acids as essential nutritional ingredients. The pet food composition of the present invention is not intended to be restricted by any specific listing of proteinaceous, fat or carbohydrate ingredients or product form, since these will be entirely dependent upon the nutritional balance of the ration desired as well as their availability to the pet food manufacturer. Generally, aside from nutritionally balancing ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and the like, the food compositions of the present invention have a moisture content of about 10 to about 90% by weight and preferably about 65 to about 75% by weight and are formulated having a nutrient content listed in Table I below. TABLE I ______________________________________ Nutrient Content % Nutrient (Dry Matter Basis) ______________________________________ Carbohydrate about 15 to about 27 Protein about 35 to about 48 Fat about 27 to about 35 Omega-6 Fatty Acids about 2.0 to about 6.0 Omega-3 Fatty Acids about 2.5 to about 7.5 Arginine about 2.0 to about 3.5 Nutritional balancing agents such as vitamins about 0.4 to about 1.0 (A, B1, B2, B6, E) and minerals (Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Fe, Cl) ______________________________________ The critical factor insofar as the present invention is applicable to the amelioration of radiation therapy cell damage is the presence of a mixture of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and arginine in the proportions specified in Table I above, in a nutritionally balanced pet food composition which includes omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids as nutrients. The fat and carbohydrate nutrients used to prepare the pet food compositions of the present invention may be supplied by ingredients such as meat, meat by-products, other animal protein sources and grains as the food source. By meat is meant the flesh of cattle, swine, sheep, goat, horses, and other mammals as well as poultry and fish. Meat by-products include, but are not limited to lungs, kidneys, brain, livers, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. Additionally, meat, meat by-products, and other animal protein source mixtures are suitable for use in the pet food of this invention. The nutrient ingredients may also include amounts of cereal grains such as wheat, corn, barley and rice and fibrous bulking materials such as cellulose, beet pulp, peanut hulls or soy fiber. A typical canned dog food product useful in the practice of the method of the present invention is prepared from a mixture of the following ingredients: TABLE II ______________________________________ Ingredient % By Weight ______________________________________ Water 25-30 Lungs, Beef Lobes 40-45 Liver 6-10 Chicken 5-8 Rice 4-8 Fish Oil (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid source) 5-8 Cellulose 0.5-2 Beef Pulp 0.5-2 Inorganic Salts (calcium carbonate, iron oxide, 0.5-2 potassium citrate) Arginine 0.2-0.6 Vitamins 0.01-0.2 Taurine 0.02-0.2 Minerals 0.01-0.2 ______________________________________ In preparing a pet food product useful in the practice of the present invention, the nutrient composition is adjusted so that the concentration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is present in the animal food product of the present invention at a concentration of about 2.5 to about 7.5% on a dry matter basis and preferably about 7.0 to about 7.5% on a dry matter basis, when the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are present in the pet food product at a concentration of about 2.0 to about 6.0% on a dry matter basis. The omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are most conveniently provided by fish oils such as menhaden, mackerel, herring, anchovy and salmon which all have significant levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids C20:5 eicosapentaenoic acid and C22:6 docosahexaneoic acid are typical of fish oil and together comprise about 25-38% by weight of the fish oil. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids include linoleic acid and arachidonic acid and are present in the fish oils at lesser concentrations generally less than about 10% by weight. The pet food product of the present invention is supplemented with arginine to contain about 2.0 to about 3.5% on a dry matter basis and preferably about 3.0 to about 3.5% on a dry matter basis. The arginine and fish oil components of the pet food product of the present invention are incorporated in the food product during the processing of the formulation, as for example, during and after mixing of the ingredients of the pet food. Distribution of these components can be accomplished by conventional means. Other additives may be included in this pet food as needed. These other additives include flavoring, vitamins, minerals, coloring and mixtures thereof. These additives are added for nutritional purposes and palatability. Suitable amounts are easily determined by a person having ordinary skill in the art. However, up to about 5% of these ingredients are customarily used. Ingredients in this category are exemplified by iron oxide, sodium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium chloride, and other edible salts, flavoring, vitamins, minerals and coloring. The pet food products prepared in accordance with the practice of the present invention are prepared by mixing ground animal and poultry proteinaceous tissues with the remaining ingredients which include fish oils, arginine, cereal grains and other nutritionally balancing ingredients and special purpose additives such as vitamin and mineral mixtures, inorganic salts, cellulose and beet pulp bulking agents and the like. Water sufficient for processing is also added. A vessel suitable for heating while blending the components is used. Heating of the ingredient mix may be effected in any suitable manner as, for example, by direct steam injection or by using a vessel fitted with a heat exchanger. Following the addition of the last ingredient, the mixture is heated to a temperature ranging from approximately 70.degree. F. to about 140.degree. F. Temperatures outside of this range are acceptable but may not be commercially practical without the use of other processing aids. When heated to the appropriate temperature, the material is in the form of a thick liquid. The thick liquid product is then filled into cans. A lid is applied and the container is hermetically sealed. Next, the sealed can is placed into conventional equipment designed to sterilize the contents. This is usually accomplished by heating to temperatures above 230.degree. F. for an appropriate time which is dependent on the exact temperature and formula. For the purposes of a complete understanding of the present invention it should be recognized that the term pet food composition is generally intended to apply to commercially sold and nutritionally balanced pet food which provides the sole food intake for the pet animal. |
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| PATENT PHOTOCOPY | Available on request |
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