Research Commentary on Protection of
Radio-Collared Bears in St. Louis County, MN - Respect The Research and
Protect Radio-collared Bears!
By Kimberly Kramer
This is a research commentary in response to “reactions” and “no action” from public officials to a request by Dr. Lynn Roger for protection for WRI collared- with-ribbons research bears from being hunted in St. Louis County,MN. These bears have a higher incidence of mortality because it is legal to hunt radio-collared animals in the state of Minnesota. Statistically and for this issue I am speaking of thirteen animals out of an estimated 11,000 or more black bears in Minnesota. Dr. Garshelis, leading bear biologist for the DNR in 2008 explained in a report “the rate of mortality of collared-bears is “not sustainable” population-wide and has documented a high harvest rate of collared bears since 2003”. For this report, I believe he speaks generally of radio-collared bears in MN and includes those collared by the DNR. This report, Ecology and Population Dynamics of Black Bears in Minnesota, is available to the public and is posted on the Internet and is public information. For a number of years, the DNR has repeatedly (verbally and in published documents) discouraged the “harvesting” of radio-collared bears. Unfortunately, these attempts and verbal recommendations to prevent the harvesting of these animals have proved inadequate. For a number of reasons stated in the paragraphs below, immediate and enforceable legal steps with sanctions need to be implemented to ensure the health and safety of the bears and all the people involved with these important research animals. Read more....
Gulf War Syndrome, Chemical Sensitivity
and Benefits of CPAP~!
It has only been in the not-to-distant past that military officials and medical experts have came out and have admitted the existence of Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). Unfortunately, to this point, even though many have searched the cause is not yet known. In previous blogs, I have discussed how GWS shares many of the same symptoms as other environmental conditions and are often co-morbid and include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and chemical sensitivity and other environmental contribute to fascilitate the condition that is commonly known as Gulf War Syndrome. One well-respected research blogger, Dr. Art Ayers, explains that CFS, MCS and fibromyalgia can "be induced by organophosphate pesticide exposure. In GWS, two insults seem to be needed: acetylcholine signal disruption and inflammation. He says that in the effected individuals the acetylcholinemimetics (pesticides, pyridostigmine) disrupted the nervous system and numerous other immunological, infectious, chemical and emotional stresses generated a high level of chronic inflammation." Read more:
Inflammation, Insulin Resistance and
Decreased PPARs-- A Pathway to CFS?
Several studies have been published over the last several months that have a relationship to several points that I have made over the last several months about environmental illness specifically chronic fatigue syndrome. Some provids further support for what I have been saying all along and that is that CFS is probably the result of stresses that alter cellular functioning and disrupt cellular metabolism and includes epigenetic changes in several pathways. This is not a new thing but I believe that many researchers have failed to notice that many of the symptoms may be caused by alterations in glucose metabolism and insulin activity and include some influences like what occur in sickness syndrome even though CFS and sickness syndrome are not the same thing. Click here to read more...
Nrf2 Regulation of Lipids and Glucose: Modulation of PGC-1a Through Protein
6/16/2010
Over the past several months, I have proposed that certain environmental illnesses such as chemical sensitivity may be due to alterations in metabolic homeostasis from inflammatory processes and may include dysfunction of the antioxidant system Nrf2 and levels of PGC-1a, possibly through alterations in methylation or another condition. Several recent studies provides a clearer picture of how this may occur in different tissues. Read more....
Today's thoughts (May 20): Just in case you did not get this, lets get this straight. Yes, oxidative stress is an important part of these diseases and yes, reducing peroxynitrite may be effective at reducting them. However, there is usually more than one way to meet an objective which is this case is treatments for MCS, CFS and other environmental diseases. As one can see from my research and that of a number of other researchers the NO/ONOO pathway is a hypothesis for cause and not the only one and science has yet to prove it is the best one. So far, there is no one that says it is a permanent fix or even the best solution, so we keep on searching. Research is about learning and not blasting others on FB or anywhere else.
Ammonia, Smoking,Insulin Resistance
and Protein Dysfunction in MCS
Dysfunction of Methylation and Nrf2 in Environmental Illness -
May 6, 2010
Background: In the past I have explained manufacturers of cigarettes have admitted to adding ammonia to make them more addictive due to an interaction with nicotine. This may make cigarette smoke more toxic to some including people with alterations in ammonia metabolism or other genetic or behavioral factors.
I am sure you are aware by now that toxins may effect more than one metabolic pathway at the same time. For this reason, it often is difficult to predict the severity of its influence on the health of an organism. Read more....
Dysfunction of Methylation and Nrf2 in Environmental Illness -
Is This A Better Explanation than NO/ONOO- ?
4/10
One of the most important themes of my research is that accumulation of ammonia may play a causal role in including in conditions such MCS and autism through alterations in the methionine and glutamine synthetase pathway and elevations of ammonia in general which may change the expression of a variety of genes that regulate cell function. Of course, this has been suggested by a number of experts. Further, I also have proposed that the dysfunction in Nrf2 and related genes contribute to the severity and elicits autoimmune-type responses and chemicals such as PFOS may influence it or "trigger" it in addition to other chemicals that are more commonly considered as more toxic. In support, in support it has been suggested that hyperammonemia may alter that nitric-oxide-cGMP pathway (Hermenegildo) and as a result this could alter NO funtioning and contribute to conditions such as fibrosis in some tissues and endothelial dysfunction. (Read more)
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Chemicals in Upholstery in Carpets Cause Diabetes,
Liver Injury and Elevations in Uric Acid, Says New Studies
PFCs are a class of chemicals including PFOA and PFOS which are common and persistant and can be found in a variety of places including soil and water and also are present in older fibers and upholstery. Generally, studies have demonstrated these chemicals alter gene expression that may affect the thyroid, which helps maintain heart rate, regulate body temperature, metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health. Other important research for environmental illness demonstrate these compounds show wider toxicity and immunotoxicity. (Read more)
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Thoughts About Genetics in MCS.....
Is It A Disease or a "Marker" Of Several Other Known Diseases? With or Without Known Causes?
In the past several years a number of authors have proposed genetic influences in MCS, including the most commonly cited studies by Shnakenberg and McKeon. Since the publishing of their works, other health researchers have expressed other genetic influences may be present in MCS as well. (Read More)
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Inflammatory Mediators in Environmental Illness.
Some of the What Current Research Says!
9/09
A study that was published last year suggested that MCP-1/CCL2/CCr2 and eotaxin may be good biomarkers for fibromyalgia and identify a genetic component to the condition. (Zhang) Since then, researchers have noted that both chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia may be classified as inflammatory conditions when the exact cause of symptoms is not known. Interestingly, MCP-1 has also been associated with causing sickness behavior syndrome which is a condition that results in behaviors often associated with people that are ill. Although it is not exclusive of human beings because similar behaviors have been observed in other animals. (Read More.)
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Implications for Endotoxin As Causal Factors
Implications for Endotoxin As Causal Factors
in Sickness Syndrome, MCS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
2/22/10
An increasing number of scientific publications support the hypothesis that endotoxin infection and sickness syndrome may be important factors in environmental illnesses including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, GWS and quite possibly MCS. In fact, sickness syndrome would be a reasonable and holistic approach for explaining many of the behavioral, physical and emotional complications that are common in environmental illness. Sickness syndrome is described as the presence of a variety of symptoms including malaise, fatigue, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, brain inflammation, mood changes such as anxiety and depression and a host of other symptoms that occur as a reponse to injury or infection. These response occur both in humans and animals and some propose it is in part, adapative responses that are generated to alter the responses of the host and their social network. Over the past several years, there has been an significant amount of research on sickness syndrome. The occurence of which can be attributed to inflammatory cytokines that alter neurotransmission and genetic expression. There have been studies that show altered gene expression in environmental illnesses; the consequences of which can be quite severe and unexpected. Il-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that has been shown to modulate the severity of sickness syndrome through interaction with HO-1. HO-1 is also a cytokine that is induced by activation of Nrf2, although there are other pathways that can induce this antioxidant. (Read More.)
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Endotoxin and Orexins
2/22/10 Background: Many research experts believe that endotoxin is a causal factor in the development of chronic fatigue syndrome. (Maes)
A new study has been published that provides more insight into how sickness syndrome alters behavior. According to this important study, LPS suppresses a gene in histamine and orexin neurons. As the abstract describes, the orexin neurons in the brain are important for behaviors including waking, feeding and reward-related behaviors and can be regulated by dopamine (Bubser), provide antinociceptive protection (Mobarakeh) and may reduce gastrointestinal injury through several mechanisms including injury from TLR signaling. In other blogs, we describe in detail how gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria initiate inflammatory effects through TLR signaling and that dysruption of the Nrf2 system will increase or enhance the inflammatory effects. (Read More.)
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Ammonia, Autism, IBS, IBD and Environmental Odorants!
2/21/10It is often asked whether or not intestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease are associated with environmental illnesses such as chemical sensitivity. As a researcher, I would say undoubtedly so and to explain some of the reasons for this and present some interesting hypotheses and studies as well. First, it is true there is still no general consensus on what causes irritable bowel syndrome. However, in the last few years inroads have been made on settling the debate. In a preliminary report out of Heidelberg, the author states they have found mutations possibly associated with IBS, that "appear to cause changes in the composition or number of receptors on the cell surface. (Read More.)
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Biological Pathways in Environmental Pathways...
Biological Pathways in Environmental Pathways...
Too Much Disruption and Everything Goes Wrong!
When you are talking about biological pathways there is never a linear path where one protein action only leads to another. It would make understanding these pathways alot simpler but it just does not work that way. Of course, if this were so, it would be so easy for everything to just stop working if something went wrong. When there are multiple pathways that intersect, run parallel or make feedback loops on proteins that ultimately activate other proteins, it results in a kind of "checks and balance system" inside a cell. This provides a safety mechanism so processes keep working or at least "keep chugging along" even if one protein or even a few proteins that make up a pathway are damaged, are lost or their signals get misdirected. (Read More.)
Neuroinflammation, Diabetes and GSK-3b in Environmental Illness!
Background: In other blogs, we have described how different proteins interact in molecular pathways to achieve specific metabolic processes. Most often we focus on the Nrf2-PGC-1a-SIRT1 pathway because activation or non-activation will effect cell survival. Recently, we spent quite a bit of time discussing the importance of PGC-1a for metabolic homeostasis and energy metabolism. Friedrich's ataxia is a neurodegenerative conditions that strikes early in life and have used FA as an example for comparison of complications of diseases that arise from Nrf2 dysfunction. Newer studies show that some of the complications in FA arise from dysregulation of PPAR-gamma and PGC-1a and symptoms associated with this dysfunction includes insulin resistance, cardiomyopathy and diabetes. (Read More.)
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ImmunoGenetics in Autism, MCS and Cancer --
What Has Food Got To Do With It.
1/20/10
Research scientists are gaining more understanding why certain physical changes occur and are passed on to successive generations without changes to DNA. The field of research that studies involving these kinds of changes is called epigenetics and ultimately examines how behaviors and their influence on biological systems, whether beneficial or detrimental, can be passed on to their descendants. This process is called methylation and simply put, is a where a methyl group attaches to an amino acid which permanently or temporarily silences gene expression. Interestingly, as understanding of methylation advances, its role as a cause of environmental illnesses becomes more and more ignored, at least in the media. Why this is true I can tell you but need to stress here that methylation may be the one or one of the most important factors that contributes to environmental illness including chemical sensitivity, autism, cancer and as you will read probably more....(Read More.)
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MCS As an Autoimmune Disease....
Cause? Loss of Tregs???
1/8/10
I recently discussed how IL-10 determines the severity and length of sickness syndrome. At that time, I suggested chemical sensitivity is a loss of tolerance caused by an imbalance of T regulator cells and dysfunction of Nrf2 and based this assumption on a recent study showing environmental pollutants may lead to a decrease in the expression of Tregs whereas, normally chronic exposure increases them. In previous animal studies, the loss of Tregs results in the development of "immediate autoimmune-type disease." (Read More.)
Regulatory T Cells and Vitamin D -
Their Importance To Environmental Illness Including Chemical Sensitivity!
1/5/10
Over the past several months there has been a number of studies that shed light on the activities of a subset of immune cells called regulatory T-cells. Interestingly, these new findings may result in answering some important questions related to multiple chemical sensitivity which is a condition where patients become sensitive to agents normally found in the environment and these agents can be "natural" or manmade. Every MCS patient is different but their symptoms may include nausea, vertigo, brain fog, light sensitivity and others. Generally, reactions occur when MCS patients are exposed to concentrations of noxious stimulants, chemical agents or irritants that would not normally elicit a reaction in those without MCS. While there are many theories out there about what causes MCS, so far there are few that actually come close to understanding MCS and other facets of environmental illness. (Read More.)
More Older Posts in Folder. Have not Linked All of Them Yet!
A Few That Might Interest You: TLR, Chemical Hypersensitivity and Inflammator Mediators
Mitochondrial bioenergetics, CFS, Muscle Fatigue, PGC-1a, CAMKII and Nrf2.
