Pathology of MS, another piece fits in.

[Guest guest]

It is clear that oligodendrocytes (a type of neuronal cell) dies in

MS (work of Prineas). The question is why do they die, and how might

LDN prevent that. This is what may be happening..

There are many publications which indicate that excitatory

aminoacids such as glutamate, via kainate receptors are involved in

toxicity to oligodendrocytes. Inducible nitric acid synthase (iNOS)

is also present in oligo-cells. see e.g.

- ez-Palma L. Pehar M. Cassina P. Peluffo H. Castellanos R.

Anesetti G. Beckman JS. Barbeito L. Involvement of nitric oxide on

kainate-induced toxicity in oligodendrocyte precursors.

Neurotoxicity Research. 5(6):399-406, 2003.

-Matute C. Alberdi E. Domercq M. -Cerda F. -Samartin A.

-Gomez MV. The link between excitotoxic oligodendroglial

death and demyelinating diseases.

-Werner P. Pitt D. Raine CS. Glutamate excitotoxicity--a mechanism

for axonal damage and oligodendrocyte death in Multiple Sclerosis?.

[Journal Article] Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementum.

(60):375-85, 2000.

- Pitt D. Werner P. Raine CS. Glutamate excitotoxicity in a model of

multiple sclerosis.[see comment]. [Journal Article] Nature Medicine.

6(1):67-70, 2000 Jan.

So what does LDN do: It first reduces iNOS, so peroxynitrite

mediated oxidative damage is reduced.

-Liu B. Gao HM. Wang JY. Jeohn GH. CL. Hong JS. Role of

nitric oxide in inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration. [Review]

[101 refs] [Journal Article. Review. Review, Tutorial] ls of the

New York Academy of Sciences. 962:318-31, 2002

LDN may also have additional actions and may block kainate

receptors. Here I have not yet found a good paper, but there is

scattered evidence that kainate receptor blockers may also block

certain opiate receptors where LDN acts and vice-versa.

Will continue to look, but it would appear that LDN does have a

scientific basis.

Yash