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New study out of Australia

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http://www.sciencealert.com/one-of-the-biggest-myths-about-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-just-got-destroyed
"The breakthrough came after researchers from Griffith University identified that patients with CFS/ME were far more likely to have single nucleotide polymorphisms - DNA typos - in the genetic code for certain cell receptor.

This cell receptor is known as transient receptor potential melastatin 3 (TRPM3), and in healthy cells it plays a crucial role - transferring calcium from outside the cell to the inside, where it helps regulate gene expression and protein production.

But in several peer-reviewed papers published by the Griffith team last year, they showed that in CFS/ME patients, something seemed to be going wrong with TRPM3.

In the latest study, the team looked at blood samples 15 CFS/ME patients and 25 healthy controls, and found that immune cells in chronic fatigue patients had far fewer functioning TRPM3 receptors than those of healthy participants.

As a result, calcium ions weren't making it inside the cell like they should be, meaning cell function was impaired.

What makes matters worse is that TRPM3 isn't just found in immune cells. The team tested its presence on immune cells as they're easy to access in blood samples, but the receptor is found on every single cell in the body, which not only explains why CFS/ME has been so difficult to diagnose, but also why it's so severe."
 
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Not enough oxygen leads to increased consumption of amino acids. Just before Christmas, the Norwegian oncologists published a study where they found that pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) has reduced capacity. It's about the process when the glucose is converted to pyruvate to eventually be used by the mitochondria for energy production (ATP). The study shows that in ME patients leads to increased lactate production (due to anaerobic environment) as well as increased consumption of certain amino acids as fuel alternative pathways for ATP production. They also refers to an earlier study of 100 CFS patients compared with 82 healthy controls, which demonstrated fewer amino acids in the urine sample.
http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/89376

Lack of amino acids leads to reduced calcium absorption
The Norwegian study could be linked to the Australian study, publicated a few days ago. It is showing that the NMDA receptors have impaired the cells get too little calcium (leading to exhaustion). NMDA receptors are namely dependent on display amino acids, including glutamate, glycine, and aspartate, which ME sufferers may have a lack of.
http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statem...researchers-make-chronic-fatigue-breakthrough
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27727448/

If NMDA receptors are not working, the cells do not get enough calcium and then you become completely exhausted. Compare with cows just calved. A common problem is that they have trouble getting up because of calcium deficiency. The huge milk production before calving depletes the body of calcium. It is possible to counteract by giving the cow a “calcium shot”. The situation is different with ME sufferers who can not absorb the calcium because of the NMDA receptors are not functioning properly, which they do not seem to do according to the latest published study.

Agonists of the NMDA receptors are L-glutamate and L-glycine, also L-aspartate. There are several studies proving it. Here are some:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1686860/
http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/67/5/1470

L-aspartate is also able to help to burn fat for energy. L-arginine and L-aspartate in combination also increase oxygenation, endurance and fat burning. Oxygenation of cells is also a problem when pyruvate is converted to lactate instead of ATP in the oxygen-poor environment.

This is an interesting article (sorry, in swedish) that shows how the body increases endurance by means of L-aspartate and L-arginine. I can imagine that L-arginine can be replaced with L-citrulline as it is longer-acting (days instead of hours).
http://blodsvettforskning.blogspot.com/2015/03/aminosyror-for-okad-uthallighet.html?m=1
 

wastwater

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uk
Do vitamin D and calcium go hand in hand and if so is low vitamin D a good or bad thing or nothing to do with anything here
 
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59
Location
Maine
Do vitamin D and calcium go hand in hand and if so is low vitamin D a good or bad thing or nothing to do with anything here
All I know is that vit D is important for the absorption of calcium in healthy people, but I don't know enough to properly answer your question!
 

alicec

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the Norwegian oncologists published a study where they found that pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) has reduced capacity.

There's a long thread with excellent discussion about this paper here.

NMDA receptors have impaired the cells get too little calcium

The study showed changes in response of TRPM3 receptors (ion channels) on NK cells from CFS/ME patients compared with controls - not NMDA receptors.

The study is discussed in the alternative thread linked above. Please note this is a preliminary observation - there have been a lot of over-hyped claims about what the study shows.
 
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