ALS - Lou Gerrig's Disease

[Guest guest]

Aside from the interesting information/conclutions below for ALS, I

found it interesting just for better understanding how some

supplements/nutrients work in our bodies.

Francie

Amyelotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyelotrophic lateral sclerosis (or Lou Gehrig's disease, a

motor neuron disease) appears to have an autoimmune component

associated with it. Whenever the immune system is involved

(particularly the phagocytic cells such as macrophages and

granulocytes), there are usually oxygen radicals being produced at

the affected site. In order to protect the nervous system from

oxidative damage, you need to be able to get antioxidants across the

extensive membranes of nerve cells into the cytoplasm or have the

antioxidants dissolve into the lipid bilayer; that is, some

antioxidants (vitamin C, proanthocyanidins) are particularly water

soluble while others (vitamin E, beta-carotene [vitamin A

> precursor], co-enzyme Q10) are fat soluble. Since proanthocyanidins

can cross the blood-brain barrier, we can surmise that they have at

least some lipophilic properties.

Vitamin C is a difficult molecule to get to diffuse across

the barrier; however, recent studies have shown that an oxidized

metabolite of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) called dehydroascorbic acid

can penetrate the blood-brain barrier in significant concentrations.

Dehydroascorbate is derived during the oxidation of normal vitamin C,

so the only way I see to achieve elevated blood concentrations of

dehydroascorbate is to take large, but safe, doses of vitamin C (500-

1000 mg/day).

Once in the nerve cell, the regenerated (reduced) vitamin C

molecule can help to maintain the vitamin E in an unoxidized state in

the membranes. The nerve cells have extensive membranes that wrap

around the cell body numerous times, so it is beneficial to keep

plenty of vitamin E dissolved in the membranes. It is thought that co-

enzyme Q10 can help vitamin E insert itself into the cell membranes,

and of course co-enzyme Q10 is a critical constituent of

mitochondrial membranes and helps to shuttle electrons for energy

production. Like vitamin E, it too should help protect against lipid

peroxidation. I hope this discussion helps.

Sincerely,

L. Wilmer, Ph. D.