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Brain inflammation

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Someone on Eurolyme has been posting about his research into inflammation in the brain in Lyme and other chronic diseases. He's given me permission to repost his thoughts here. See below - his name is Anthony. (I've asked him to join this board but he doesn't have time for another board at the moment.)

What he says seems well-informed - perhaps it takes us forward a little?

Jenny

....................................................................................................................

In several psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, some of the
> inflammatory components of the immune system are chronically overactivated.
> This stimulates the enzyme IDO, which starts the breakdown process for
> tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor of melatonin and serotonin. So if
> tryptophan breakdown is excessively stimulated, it should eventually result
> in depleted tryptophan, and therefore depleted melatonin and serotonin.
> Depleted melatonin would explain the high rate of insomnia in Lyme disease.
>
>>
> Ninety five percent of tryptophan in the brain is broken down in the
> kynurenine pathway for tryptophan metabolism. If there is chronic brain
> inflammation and excessive breakdown of tryptophan, this often causes
> imbalances in tryptophan byproducts. There are three byproducts in
> particular that are most important:
>>
> * 3-hydroxykynurenine
>
> * quinolinic acid
>
> * kynurenic acid
>
>>
> Neurons have multiple receptors, such as receptors for serotonin, dopamine,
> NMDA, etc.
>
>>
> Quinolinic acid activates the NMDA receptor on neurons.
>
>>
> Kynurenic acid inhibits the NMDA receptor on neurons.
>>
>
> Even mild elevations in 3-hydroxykynurenine in the brain cause oxidative
> stress, resulting in cellular damage in the brain.
>>
>
> If quinolinic acid in the brain is highly elevated, this overactivates the
> NMDA receptor on neurons. When the NMDA receptor is constantly activated,
> this allows too much calcium to flow into neurons. Too much calcium inflow
> causes damage and destruction of neurons.
>
>>
> If there is insufficient kynurenic acid in the brain, the NMDA receptor is
> not inhibited enough, so it is constantly activated - much like the scenario
> where there is too much quinolinic acid, i.e., too much calcium inflow into
> neurons, causing their damage and destruction.
>>
>
> If there is too much kynurenic acid in the brain, this causes excessive
> build-up of dopamine around neurons.
>
>>
> High elevation of quinolinic acid in the brain and/or cerebrospinal fluid
> (often accompanied by elevated 3-hydroxykynurenine) is known to occur in
> Lyme disease, chronic depression, Alzheimer's, HIV dementia, ALS, and early
> Huntington's disease.
>
>>
> In Parkinsonism, there is too little kynurenic acid.
>
>>
> In schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, there is too much kynurenic acid.
>
>>
> It is hard to get accurate measurements of these tryptophan byproducts,
> because the most reliable measurements are based on analysis of
> cerebrospinal fluid or post-mortem brain samples. Measurements of these
> byproducts in the blood aren't very reliable. Imbalances in the
> cerebrospinal fluid often don't show up in the blood. But if there are
> imbalances in the blood, there are almost certainly imbalances in the
> cerebrospinal fluid.
>
>>
> In a study of 16 patients who tested positive for Lyme based on antibodies
> in the cerebrospinal fluid, and who had clear clinical signs of central
> nervous system (CNS) infection, 14 of the patients had elevated quinolinic
> acid. The average level of elevation was 15 times higher than healthy
> subjects. The authors concluded that in Lyme with CNS infection, quinolinic
> acid is "dramatically elevated." In this study, there was no tryptophan
> depletion in the cerebrospinal fluid. The authors believed this was because
> the infection was not yet "intense" enough to deplete tryptophan. Source:
> Halperin JJ, Heyes MP. Neuroactive kynurenines in Lyme borreliosis.
> Neurology. 1992 Jan;42(1):43-50.
>
>>
> I haven't found any studies on tryptophan byproducts in chronic pain
> patients, although I haven't focused my research on this area. However, in
> chronic Lyme disease, about 80% of patients have reduced blood flow in the
> brain. This is probably due to inflammation inside the blood vessels in the
> brain (cerebral vasculitis). Fibromyalgia also involves reduced blood flow
> in the brain. In the studies of ketamine for fibromyalgia, reduction of
> symptoms was strongly correlated with increased blood flow in the brain. In
> other words, there was a reduction in the inflammatory immune components
> that trigger excessive breakdown of tryptophan and imbalances in tryptophan
> byproducts. So it would be very surprising if quinolinic acid were not
> elevated, or kynurenic acid was not reduced in fibromyalgia. In one of the
> case reports for ketamine in chronic regional pain syndrome, the remission
> of symptoms was accompanied by significant increase in blood flow in the
> brain. So - probably the same thing.
>
>>
> Elevations in IDO (which activates tryptophan), and in quinolinic acid and
> 3-hydroxykynurenine, are known to suppress the T cell response to infections
> in humans. In mice, this can also cause an autoreactive B cell response.
> This is one way in which Lyme disease very likely suppresses the T cell
> response, and might cause B cell autoimmunity. This is driven by
> inflammation. Since herxing is due to increased inflammation, it very likely
> increases neurotoxicity and immune system dysregulation.
>
>>
> Anthony
>
>
>
>
>
 
D

DysautonomiaXMRV

Guest
I heard Dr Nancy Klimas saying CFS patients have brain inflammation and that XMRV could cause that.

Also I read somewhere that Dr Kerr from the UK, said he found brain cytokines in CFS were elevated or present (indicates inflammation).

I know on autopsies in the UK, a handful of cases do show spinal cord inflammation. Only a handful as ME patients are never given autopsies for a reason to increase the psychological myth.
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Ketamine

Here's some more from Anthony, on ketamine as a treatment.

See attachment.

Jenny
 

Attachments

  • 2010 05-04 Ketami&#.pdf
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HopingSince88

Senior Member
Messages
335
Location
Maine
I think the nature of this thread is similar to the thread that contains Dr. Goldberg's lecture on "Not Autism" - in which he contends that many conditions may be due to inflammation of the brain. He uses SPECT scans to determine blood flow problems, which are indicative of inflammation. I wish I had the $$$ for a spect.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I read with great interest these ideas by Anthony Murawski on brain inflammation.

Some links to excellent strategies to reduce brian inflammation are found here:

The connection between Lyme disease, an Inflamed Brain, and Fibromyalgia Syndrome
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_285/ai_n19170367/

Sickness Syndrome - 5 Step Program
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20111003034748/http://www.sicksyndrome.com/five_step_program.php

Sickness Syndrome: The Link Between Inflammatory Diseases and Depression: Part II
http://sicksyndrome.com/assets/articles/tldp_november_06.pdf

This brain inflammation research is by Dr Gina Nick, who studies brain inflammation in various diseases, and gives advice on natural treatments to ease this inflammation. She calls the symptoms of brain inflammation "Sickness Syndrome".
 
Last edited:
J

jamesrayenz

Guest
A friend of mine suffers from MS and now because of all the problems caused by this condition and ended up in a wheelchair. Currently, the brain and spinal chord, a terrible amount of pain which causes swelling in working with! Treatment used to reduce inflammation, is it?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
It is worth trying these anti-inflammatory supplements for the brain if you have any condition that is linked to brain inflammation, which includes chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, psychosis, anhedonia, autism, MS, and anxiety disorders.

A simple anti-brain inflammation treatment scheme is:

sesame seed oil, 1 tablespoon once daily
curcumin 1000 mg x 3 times daily (curcumin is an extract of turmeric)
holy basil 500 mg x 3 times daily

Though these are only herbs, they have a potent anti-inflammatory effect.
 
Messages
1
Thank you for this post - it's very clear, and important information.
Do you or Anthony Murawski know anything about what the implications of this for supplementing L-tryptophan in Lyme disease are, or if there has been any research into this?
Also if someone with Lyme disease is supplementing L-tryptophan, in what kind of time-frame would any resulting neurological effects (positive or negative) be likely to be experienced in - ie. hours/ weeks / months?
Thanks.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
@Paloma S , You may need to post this as it's own thread with a title like "Has Anyone with Lyme used L-Tryptophan" to get the attention of the people you want to reply.
 

Jimbo39

Senior Member
Messages
405
Location
San Deigo, CA
Kynurenic acid, which is derived from the processing of tryptophan, is converted to quinolinic acid in the presence of B6

I'm not sure if supplementing with tryptophan will be healpful. You will be increasing kynurenic acid but quinolinic acid is downstream so wouldn't it increase as well? I think thats the reason some people recommend 5-HPT rather than tryptophan to boost serotonin levels. 5-HPT is downstream from T. 5-HPT is not only the direct precursor to S. But it also doesn't affect the kynorenine cycle.
 

Jimbo39

Senior Member
Messages
405
Location
San Deigo, CA
This is one way in which Lyme disease very likely suppresses the T cell
> response, and might cause B cell autoimmunity.

Also I read somewhere that Dr Kerr from the UK, said he found brain cytokines in CFS were elevated or present (indicates inflammation).

I read somewhere that B cell autoimmunity causes the production of cytokines. I'm too brain fried to look it up.
 

Jimbo39

Senior Member
Messages
405
Location
San Deigo, CA
Brain fried is right. Any kind autoimmunity will produce cytokines. In my case I think it's LPS induced and EBV. @Hip do you prefer sesame over flaxseed? What about NAG?

I'm still trying to get a grip on this whole inflammatory thing (the brain, gut, HPA, methylation) I hardly know where to start.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
@Hip do you prefer sesame over flaxseed? What about NAG?

For what I believe may be brain inflammation-induced generalized anxiety disorder, I find flaxseed oil better than sesame oil. NAG is the best supplement I found to combat my anxiety.
 

Jimbo39

Senior Member
Messages
405
Location
San Deigo, CA
sesame seed oil, 1 tablespoon once daily
curcumin 1000 mg x 3 times daily (curcumin is an extract of turmeric)
holy basil 500 mg x 3 times daily

@Hip. Isn't holy basil also an antibacterial and anti fungal? I have to be careful of severe die off.

Curcumin: Protects LPS-induced neurotoxicity in animal glia culture; blocks the production of pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic mediators such as nitric oxide, TNF-alpha, Il-1, IL -6, and NF-kappaB.

Resveratrol has many of the same properties as well as being a potent antioxidant.

I've been taking these two for at least 6 months and have noticed a significant improvement. Will add sasame oil and perhaps slowly include holy basil.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
@Hip. Isn't holy basil also an antibacterial and anti fungal? I have to be careful of severe die off.

A lot of herbs are, but you'd probably only want to be concerned about herbs or herbal extracts that are relatively potent antibacterials, such for example oregano oil.