Toxin induced chronic illnesses -- are we getting closer to understanding the mechanisms?

[Guest guest]

This jewel came from Rich Murray.

Those of you who are researching toxin induced illnesses already know

that they

have a lot in common. This news release describes work on Multiple

Chemical

Sensitivity being done by Washington State University biochemist

Pall.

The release says " Pall's new theory is a fusion of two previous theories

about

MCS in his review of the scientific literature. "

Pall states in the article that " MCS has overlaps with other medical

conditions of

uncertain mechanism including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia

posttraumatic

stress disorder, and Gulf War syndrome. "

Though the release was out in September of this year -it is new to me.

Access to this release and access to the original paper by Pall, can be

accessed at this web site. The original paper requires a fee of $7.

http://www.wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=3281

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9/16/2002

Contact:

Sharon Hatch, 509/335-4262, hatch@...

Pall, 509/335-1246, martin_pall@...

WSU Biochemist Suggests Vicious Chemical Cycle May Cause Multiple

Chemical Sensitivity

PULLMAN, Wash. -- In the United States about 10 million people are

afflicted by

severe multiple chemical sensitivity. Many MCS sufferers give up air

travel, some must

find new work places or move out of their homes to avoid exposure to

certain chemicals.

For them, grocery shopping in the detergent aisle or attending events

where someone may

wear perfume is risky. MCS symptoms, which may last for hours or days,

include pain-severe

headaches and pain in joints and muscles-fatigue, dizziness and an

impaired ability to think clearly.

The onset of this chronic condition can usually be traced back to an

exposure to certain

chemicals. But why the initial exposure results in an often life-long,

incurable condition has

been a mystery. In an article published in the September 2002 issue of

the prestigious

publication of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental

Biology, " The FASEB

Journal, " Washington State University biochemist Pall suggests

that a vicious chemical

cycle may be to blame.

Pall's new theory is a fusion of two previous theories about MCS. One of

these, proposed by

Pall earlier, states that MCS is produced by excessive levels of two

chemicals in the body-nitric

oxide and its oxidant product - peroxynitrite. He suggested certain

mechanisms act to keep

levels of the two compounds elevated, thus producing chronic changes.

The second theory

was proposed by Iris Bell, M.D, Ph.D. of the University of Arizona. She

proposed that the

central mechanism in MCS is neural sensitization in the brain.

" What my article reports, " said Pall, " is that if you assume both

previous theories are correct,

you come up with a fusion that explains all the most puzzling features

of MCS. It explains why

MCS is induced by a previous chemical exposure and why MCS sufferers

show such a high

level of sensitivity to a wide range of organic chemicals. "

Pall cites many studies that suggest that the initial chemical exposure

creates a hypersensitivity

in the neurons in the brain, which react by creating the two chemicals

that cause further

hypersensitivity. " Ordinarily, these activities are highly regulated,

acting only on specific synapses

in the brain where they are involved in learning and memory. The MCS

response is produced, "

said Pall, " when chemical exposure produces excessive responses over

large regions of the brain.

In this way, normal and important mechanisms may act to generate this

chronic illness. Thus, not

only is the brain constantly inundated by chemicals to which it is

normally somewhat sensitive,

but the brain of a person suffering from MCS becomes abnormally

sensitive to the chemicals-

from 100 to 1,000 times more sensitive than in an unaffected person. "

Two other mechanisms

contribute to the sensitivity to by allowing the offending chemicals to

accumulate to higher levels

in the brains of MCS people.

MCS has overlaps with other medical conditions of uncertain mechanism

including chronic

fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia posttraumatic stress disorder, and Gulf

War syndrome. Pall

has proposed similar mechanisms for all of these conditions. " The notion

that a biochemical

vicious cycle may underlie all four is very exciting and, if correct,

suggests that this is a major

new paradigm of human disease. "

Interrupting this cycle may be the key to effective MCS treatment, said

Pall.

Pall's article is available on the Web at

www.fasebj.org/cgi/content-nw/full/16/11/1407/T1.

Access to this site is free to members of the Federation of American

Societies

of Experimental Biology, others must pay a $7 access fee.

Comments:

Dr. Gunnar Heuser, neurotoxicologist and clinical professor at UCLA, who

has published

on brain changes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, stated " I consider Dr.

Pall's research a

significant contribution to the science of clinical toxicology and

multiple chemical sensitivity. "

Dr. Grace Ziem, land physician who practices occupational and

environmental

medicine and specializes in chemically-induced illness, said " I feel

that Dr. Pall has done the

most important biochemical research and documentation toward

understanding the mechanism

of neural sensitization underlying toxic injury to the brain and this

research has important

implications for treatment. "

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