SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF SEVERE ATOPIC DERMATITIS-COMPLICATED CATARACTAND MALE-INFERTILITY WITH A NATURAL PRODUCT ANTIOXIDANT

There has been a recent dramatic change in the features of atopic derm atitis and male infertility, including a marked increased prevalence o f severe and treatment-resistant atopic dermatitis; an increase in sev ere atopic dermatitis complicated by cataracts, especially in urban an d industrial areas; and an increase in the number of infertile men wit h poor sperm motility. Previously we have attributed these changes to the increased free radicals produced by environmental toxicity. We hav e reported the increase in lipid peroxide levels and decrease in super oxide dismutase inducibility in severe atopic dermatitis patients, and shown that lipid peroxides attach to the stratum corneum, promoting l oss of skin moisturization and resulting in the worsening of atopic de rmatitis. Cataracts which occur with severe atopic dermatitis are also formed by the diffusing of lipid peroxides through the posterior lens . Regarding aspermia, the standard levels of sperm motility according to the World Health Organization Guidelines have been reduced to 50% f rom 60%, but nonetheless the prevalence of infertile men is increasing . It has been reported that antioxidants such as ascorbate, catalase a nd glutathione-Px can reverse the decrease in sperm motility in the se minal plasma of infertile men. We have developed an oral antioxidant, named AOA, which is produced from natural plants and seeds (e.g., soyb ean, sesame, wheat germ), treated by heating with far infrared rays (4 -14 mu m wavelength), brewed with Aspergillus oryzae, and lipophilized with similarly heated sesame oil. These procedures liberate low-molec ular-weight antioxidants that exist naturally in an inactive form of r epeating subunits of polymers, to produce free, activated forms of ant ioxidants. This natural medicinal product, AOA, has been applied to th e treatment of both cataract complicated with atopic dermatitis and ma le infertility. Approximately half the patients tested have shown mark ed improvement.