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Old March 27th 06, 01:00 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
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Default Senator Bill Frist: Dr. Mengele to Cats



Howard C. Berkowitz wrote:

In article , Marina
wrote:


EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:

I knew the emotional centers of a cat's brain were nearly identical to
those of humans - I hadn't stopped to think that probably meant its
nervous system was, too. Of course, humans don't really like to think
we are that closely related to pigs (although cannibals refer to human
meant as "long pig") but I've read several places that we really are.


Before genetic engineering developed far enough, type I diabetics got
pig's insulin. I lived on pig's insulin about 20 years. Now we use
synthetic insulin that is identical to human insulin.



Actually, at least one form of pig insulin is still manufactured. My
first delighted thought was it confirmed certain humans were swine, but
it turns out that this particular form has a rate of release that's
different from the synthetic human forms, a rate that's useful in some
patients.

Of the ten or so human insulin preparations, about a third are
identical, while others have a slightly modified molecule that doesn't
interfere with the basic hormonal effect, but does affect the release
rate. When you see a name like "insulin glargine", that refers to
moving around a glutamic acid and and an arginine amino acid in the
protein sequence. "insulin lispro" moves lysine and proline.


My former doctor (a nutritional specialist) put me on
porcine thyroid, because he said the human body finds it
more compatible than the bovine thyroid more commonly
prescribed. My current doctor saw no reason I should change
(although he upped the dosage a bit when indicated), and
it's no more expensive. I get it from a compounding
pharmacist in Texas.

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