Leaky gut syndrome, opioid peptides, food allergies and gluten

[Guest guest]

I agree with and that when you get into the subject of opiate

peptides causing autism this is in the realm of theory. However, it is

well established that the breakdown of the gluten protein does form

peptides that have an effect like opiates, i.e. so-called " opioid

peptides, " that do bind with the opiate receptors in the brain. I don't

know if this was obvious to everyone, but opiates are also known for

causing constipation. They slow down peristalsis.

Here's an article that shows that, in rats, these same peptides can

affect the function of the pituitary gland. I've put some of my own

thoughts beneath these two abstracts.

> Although it has long been known that opioid peptides cause marked

> changes of pituitary hormone secretion in both animals and humans,

> little is known about the possible effect(s) of food-derived opioids

> (exorphins) on pituitary function. In order to investigate the

> possible role of exorphins derived from wheat gluten on pituitary

> function, we gave the following treatments to four groups of male

> rats: intracerebroventricular (ICV) vehicle, Gluten Exorphin B5

> (GE-B5) 200 microg ICV, naloxone intraperitoneally (IP) followed by

> vehicle ICV, naloxone IP followed by GE-B5 ICV. Blood samples for

> Prolactin (PRL) and Growth Hormone (GH) were taken at intervals for 90

> minutes after vehicle or GE-B5 administration. GE-B5 strongly

> stimulated PRL secretion; its effect was completely abolished by

> naloxone administration. GH secretion was unaffected by GE-B5 under

> these experimental conditions. The present study shows for the first

> time that an opioid peptide derived from wheat gluten, GE-B5, has an

> effect on pituitary function when administered ICV; its mechanism of

> action appears to be mediated via classical opioid receptors.

This is from:

> Prolactin and growth hormone response to intracerebroventricular

> administration of the food opioid peptide gluten exorphin B5 in rats.

>

> Life Sci 2002 Oct 4;71(20):2383-90    (ISSN: 0024-3205)

>

> Fanciulli G; Dettori A; Tomasi PA; Demontis MP; Gianorso S; Anania V;

> Delitala G

> Dipartimento-Struttura Clinica Medica-Patologia Speciale Medica,

> Istituto di Patologia Medica, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro

> 8, 07100, Sassari, Italy. gfanciu@....

Here is the abstract of a related article in human children with

celiac disease:

> Gluten-free diet decreases urinary peptide levels in children with

> celiac disease.

>

> J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1999 Sep;29(3):282-5    (ISSN: 0277-2116)

>

> Ek J; Stensrud M; Reichelt KL

> Department of Pediatrics, Buskerud Central Hospital, Drammen, Norway.

>

> BACKGROUND: Increased urine secretion of peptides has been found in

> celiac disease, probably resulting from increased intestinal uptake of

> peptides caused by damage to the small gut mucosa. METHODS:

> High-performance liquid chromatography of low-molecular-weight

> peptides in the urine was performed over 6 months, before and after a

> gluten-free diet was instituted in children who clinically improved

> while consuming the diet. RESULTS: A significant decrease of peptide

> levels was observed in children consuming the gluten-free diet.

> Certain peptide peaks thought to be gluten related decreased the most

> after the patients began the diet. CONCLUSIONS: Because the peptides

> decrease in patients consuming a gluten-free diet, it is reasonable to

> conclude that such peptides have a mostly dietary origin.

>

I haven't mentioned it before on this list, I don't think, but there

are several kinds of immunological reactions that people and other

organisms can have to foods or chemicals, in addition to physiological

ones and toxic ones. Some people, myself included, have delayed-type

immunological reactions, lymphocyte activation reactions, that can be

painful and pathological. I have, as I think I mentioned, gone through

years of identifying these by elimination diets, feeling better, and

then in a couple of years, developing new allergies because of the

underlying IgA deficiency, which is genetic.

In the past five years I have found that many reactions can be

identified by ELISA/ACT testing, which is a blood test. It's not

widely accepted by most conventional medical doctors, nor is it usually

covered by insurance, but in my experience--it works--it identified a

combination of items (out of 600 or so tested) that I knew I was

" allergic " to, and those that were causing current problems whose

triggers I had not previously identified. Partly this is because the

intolerances are not IgE mediated or immediate-type reactions, nor are

they usually anaphylactic reactions-- those two are what allergists

usually work with. However, I think if more than 50% of your

lymphocytes react to something (which is what the test shows), it is

likely a very significant cause of difficulties, but when these

reactions take two or three days to occur, they can be very hard to

figure out by conventional means. The ELISA/ACT testing was very

helpful to me. Here's a link if you are interested, from a website for

parents of allergic children:

http://www.parentsofallergicchildren.org/elisa_act_test.htm

Everybody is different. Gluten and casein might be causing blurring of

awareness, but other food triggers might be causing the intestinal

permeability that allows the peptides to get through. I had been on so

many allergy diets through my life that on my first set of ELISA/ACT

tests, I was allergic to chicken, bananas, and rice!

Some people don't have the proper enzymes to break down specific

sugars, lactose being one example but not the only one. This is

well-known in infant nutrition. In that case the intestinal lining can

also be damaged and let large molecules, peptides, toxins and even

proteins, get through. Other people *may* and I'm not sure about this

one, have the intestinal lining damaged by viruses. Well, actually, I

*am* sure that this happens with rotavirus, a common cause of childhood

diarrhea, but I'm not sure about MMR, mercury, etc. *Any* cause of a

damaged intestinal lining can lead to a spiral where more large

molecules get through and set up immunological reactions. That is one

of the reasons why other autoimmune diseases are common in people with

IgA deficiency and with celiac disease (lupus, ITP and RA among

others). It could be that besides the peptides, autistic or apraxic

children are having an autoimmune reaction in the brain. (This commonly

happens in lupus, which is a kind of prototype for autoimmune

reactions.)

We already know that studies have shown that 8% of autistic children

had, in at least one study, IgA deficiency. There may, however, be a

number of routes to the same pathology. I think the theories on gluten

intolerance, specific carbohydrate diets, etc. have a lot more behind

them than some of the " death from falling watermelons " theories--and by

the way, the EFAs may very well help to heal the intestinal lining, and

cell membranes also, and help to balance the immune system. The causes

of apraxia and autism, etc. may very well, like many biological

phenomena, be multifactorial and there may be subsets--as always

refers to--with different causes and hence different responsiveness to

corrective measures.

Peace,

Kathy E.

[Guest guest]

>>>>> In the past five years I have found that many reactions can be

identified by ELISA/ACT testing, which is a blood test. It's not

widely accepted by most conventional medical doctors, nor is it usually

covered by insurance, but in my experience--it works--it identified a

combination of items (out of 600 or so tested) that I knew I was

" allergic " to, and those that were causing current problems whose

triggers I had not previously identified. Partly this is because the

intolerances are not IgE mediated or immediate-type reactions, nor are

they usually anaphylactic reactions-- those two are what allergists

usually work with. However, I think if more than 50% of your

lymphocytes react to something (which is what the test shows), it is

likely a very significant cause of difficulties, but when these

reactions take two or three days to occur, they can be very hard to

figure out by conventional means. The ELISA/ACT testing was very

helpful to me. Here's a link if you are interested, from a website for

parents of allergic children:

Wow Kathy!!! I will be very interested to see that link. This is something

that hits close to home for me. Although my children and I have not been

diagnosed with an IgA deficiency we also suffer from allergies that are not

IgE mediated, (although we have those as well). We have been using a

treatment known as Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization for this problem which

has been quite successful. EPD has been around since about the 1930's in

England (I think )with no reported deaths(unlike traditional allergy shots).

No mercury or thimerisol used, lol. Treatment given by MD's. Lots of sites

with pro's and cons and even some studies.

A VERY little info on EPD just because people usually ask me what on earth

it stands for. It's also part of the reason my kids went from being able to

eat 10-12 foods and avoiding ALL chemicals (which we still avoid in the

home) to being able to actually go into buildings that have incredibly bad

air without having asthma or anaphylactic reactions.

Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization (EPD) is an administration, via skin

injection, of a beta glucuronidase enzyme and minute doses of mixed

allergens. The enzyme is used at levels already found present in the body

and the allergens are used in quantities much less than in conventional

desensitizing treatments (allergy shots). The treatment is safer than

conventional desensitizing treatments due to the low volumes of the agents.

No part of the EPD treatment is derived from humans so the there is minimal

risk of transmitting other diseases. EPD contains a wide variety of

inhalants, foods, and chemicals and is capable of dealing with most common

allergy problems. The EPD doctor determines which of these groups are to be

included in the patient's therapy based on that patient's symptoms and

history. Customization of the injected allergens beyond the major groupings

is typically neither needed nor done, to our knowledge.

Without getting too far into the medical world, EPD reportedly stimulates

the immune system to produce new T-suppressor cells, a specific type of

lymphocyte, which is a specific type of white blood cell. These take 3 to 4

weeks to mature before they can begin their task of disabling mis-coded

T-Helper cells. Essentially, this is a re-training program so the body does

not react to those substances contained in the shot. The mis-coded cells are

a part of the chain that stimulates the production of histamine, the major

trigger of allergic response. EPD works much closer and more effectively

near the root of allergy problems than many other current treatments or

symptom reduction techniques.

Annemarie

Remember: Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.