Hypothalamic Digoxin, Cerebral Chemical Dominance and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Abstract

The isoprenoid pathway was assessed in 15 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The pathway was also assessed in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance to assess whether hemispheric dominance had any correlation with these disease states. The isoprenoid metabolites--digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone--RBC membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium and tyrosine/tryptophan catabolic patterns were assessed. The free-radical metabolism, glycoconjugate metabolism, and RBC membrane composition was also assessed. Membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity and serum magnesium levels were decreased while HMG CoA reductase activity and serum digoxin levels were increased in myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). There were increased levels of tryptophan catabolites--nicotine, strychnine, quinolinic acid, and serotonin--and decreased levels of tyrosine catabolites--dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine in ME. There was an increase in dolichol levels, carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins, glycolipids, total/individual GAG fractions, and lysosomal enzymes in ME. Reduced levels of ubiquinone, reduced glutathione, and free-radical scavenging enzymes, as well as increased lipid peroxidation products and nitric oxide, were noticed in ME. The biochemical patterns in ME correlated with those obtained in right hemi spheric chemical dominance. The role of hypothalamic digoxin and neurotransmitter induced immune activation, altered glycoconjugate metabolism, and resultant defective viral antigen presentation, NMDA excitotoxicity and cognitive dysfunction, and mitochondrial dysfunction related myalgia in the pathogenesis of ME is stressed. ME occurs in individuals with right hemispheric chemical dominance.

Association of mitochondrial dysfunction and fatigue: A review of the literature

“…Four articles examined the levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in fatigued patients with either ME or CFS compared to healthy controls [19], [20], [22], [23]. ME and CFS patients had significantly lower plasma levels of CoQ10 compared to healthy controls [19], [20].…”

“…ME and CFS patients had significantly lower plasma levels of CoQ10 compared to healthy controls [19], [20]. Plasma CoQ10 was also observed to be significantly lower in ME/CFS and depressed patients with CFS compared to controls [22], [23].…”

“…However, in patients with depression there was no correlation observed with severity of illness total or individual scores and plasma CoQ10 levels [23]. The presence of CFS independently predicted low plasma CoQ10 levels [19], [20], [23].…”

Kreativität und Schlaf

“…So berichteten Kurup und Kurup [56], dass Schriftsteller und Dichter verringerte Noradrenalinspiegel aufwiesen. Darüber hinaus konnten Beversdorf et al [6,7] zeigen, dass Probanden nach der Einnahme des β-Adrenozeptorantagonisten Propranolol besser beim Lösen von Anagrammen abschnitten.…”

Letter to the Editor

“…Evidence supporting a role for oxidative stress in CFS is accumulating. Elevated nitric oxide (NO) levels have been documented in CFS patients by Kurup and Kurup (2003), and oxidative stress has found to be associated with symptom expression in CFS patients (Richards et al, 2000). Moreover, Fulle et al (2000) provided preliminary evidence supporting the view that lipids are the cellular targets of oxidative stress in muscle cells of CFS patients.…”