Application of Carnosine Patch Improves Cellular Physiological Status in Different Organs


 Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) was first isolated from meat extracts by Russian scholars in 1900. Carnosine is now recognized as an anti-aging chelator/antioxidant with non-enzymatic free radical scavenging properties and serves as an immunomodulator and neuroprotector molecule. It is a naturally-occurring (endogenously synthesized) dipeptide present in brain, cardiac muscle, stomach, kidney, olfactory bulbs and in large quantities in skeletal muscle. As free-radical-induced damage to the cells is an important factor in causing aging and senile diseases, carnosine has the potential ability to prevent and treat diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and senile cataract. Recent clinical research shows that carnosine could be used for skin care and smoothing wrinkles and it has the ability to rejuvenate senescent cells and delay eyesight impairment and cataract which are manifestations of the aging process. These results provide valuable data in favor of considering carnosine as a natural anti-aging compound. Bioelectrical impedance data indicative of cellular physiologic organ function (status), using an Electro Interstitial Scanning (EIS) system, were acquired from twenty volunteers (7 males and 13 females, 19-83 years of age, 118-185 lbs in weight, 5-6 ft in height) after giving informed consent. Cellular physiologic function in these subjects were evaluated in 10 organs (pancreas, liver, left and right kidneys, intestines, left and right adrenal glands, hypothalamus, pituitary and thyroid glands) while wearing the carnosine patch for a period of 2 weeks. Physiologic function (EIS) testing was repeated each week. Cellular physiologic function baseline data were acquired from all subjects at the beginning of the study period before application of the carnosine patch. Subjects were instructed to keep well hydrated during the study period. All subjects served as their own control. The hypothesis to be tested was: The carnosine patch worn 12 hours/day on alternate days for two weeks significantly improves cellular physiologic functional status in different organs. Statistical analyses were carried out comparing the cumulative averages of the net changes in cellular physiologic functional status of each organ at the end of the study period with respect to the corresponding baseline data. The results showed a highly significant (p < 0.001) improvement with an average statistical power of at least 84% in physiologic functional status of the liver, right kidney, right and left adrenal glands, hypothalamus and thyroid gland. There was a very significant (p < 0.01) improvement with an average statistical power of at least 95% in the functional status of pancreas and pituitary gland. The left kidney and intestines did not achieve statistical significance over this period (p < 0.5) probably requiring more time for the carnosine patch to take effect in these organs. In summary, the overall data in this study demonstrated that the carnosine patch worn 12 hours daily on alternate days (3 days a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) over a period of 2 weeks produced a very significant (p < 0.01) improvement in the physiologic functional status of the pancreas, liver, right kidney, left and right adrenals, hypothalamus, pituitary and thyroid glands with an average statistical power of at least 95%. Therefore, the hypothesis was accepted as true.