[olsen]

http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/58132/

Volume 25 | Issue 5 | Page 30
Date: 2011-05-01



By Megan Scudellari
Power Failure
Does mitochondrial dysfunction lie at the heart of common, complex diseases like cancer and autism?


Read more: Power Failure - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/article...#ixzz1Lc4RYaHa

[olsen]

http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/pd/2011/716871/

Parkinson's Disease
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 716871, 18 pages

Review Article
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease

[paula_w]

If I may say - its just a matter of who cares or believes in change coming?
pdceative/collective
after publishing we will do the ebook and translations.
on the site we'll come together and change the world thru video - everywhere they are going to keep multiplying all the "stuff" we can use on a site......

yikes i did start out feeling positive. but do get tired just from making a list.

[lurkingforacure]

Olsen, this is fascinating to me as I have the book "Minding my mitochondria" by Dr. Wahls, who has recovered from MS by going on a very intensive nutrition-based program. She was wheelchair bound for four years, now she rides her bike five miles to work every day.

Her book is one you can learn something from each time you re-read it. Interesting for PD:

1. mitochondria have three basic functions: energy production, free-radical scavenging, and giving the signal for cell death

2. most cells have more than on mitochondrion in it: the brain cells have the most by far, thousands of mitochondria per cell. this is because the brain uses a vast amount of energy with all of the processing going on all time so it makes sense that so many mitochondria would need to be there

3. mitochondria need a rich supply of B vitamins, coQ10, IODINE (see my post here about iodine)-and the omegas in the right balance...without these, they cannot function optimally and as free radicals accumulate because the mitochondria cannot scavenge them, not only does cell processing slow down and we feel lousy but the cell death signal can be given prematurely. They need other things too but these are the main ones. Coincidentally PWP are deficient in B and coQ10, and most Americans are unknowingly deficient in iodine and our omegas are in the wrong proportions. Stress and inflammation only make things worse.

I could go on but what is going to be really interesting is how this plays out. IF western medicine agrees that the so-called "chronic diseases" (PD, MS, Alz, etc.) are in fact caused by "energy shortage" which is really just saying the mitochondria are not working as they should, then what will they propose as a solution? Will they, as Dr. Wahls has done, recommend a very healthy diet high in veggies and fruits, with a very intensive focus on nutrient-dense foods for these tiny organisms, or will they support big pharma industry in developing drugs claiming to boost mitochondrial function without providing the underlying essential micronutrients they need in the first place? You can add all the STP you want to the gas tank, but when it's empty, it's empty. I hope our docs and researchers are not misled down that path.

[reverett123]

1. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Apr;296(4):R1071-7. Epub 2009 Feb
11.

Quercetin increases brain and muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise
tolerance.

Davis JM, Murphy EA, Carmichael MD, Davis B.

University of South Carolina, Department of Exercise Science, Columbia, SC 29208,
USA. markd@mailbox.sc.edu

Quercetin is one of a broad group of natural polyphenolic flavonoid substances
that are being investigated for their widespread health benefits. These benefits
have generally been ascribed to its combination of antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory activity, but recent in vitro evidence suggests that improved
mitochondrial biogenesis could play an important role. In addition, the in vivo
effects of quercetin on mitochondrial biogenesis exercise tolerance are unknown.
We examined the effects of 7 days of quercetin feedings in mice on markers of
mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle and brain, and on endurance exercise
tolerance. Mice were randomly assigned to one of the following three treatment
groups: placebo, 12.5 mg/kg quercetin, or 25 mg/kg quercetin. Following 7 days of
treatment, mice were killed, and soleus muscle and brain were analyzed for mRNA
expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator
(PGC-1alpha) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and cytochrome
c. Additional mice underwent a treadmill performance run to fatigue or were
placed in voluntary activity wheel cages, and their voluntary activity (distance,
time, and peak speed) was recorded. Quercetin increased mRNA expression of
PGC-1alpha and SIRT1 (P < 0.05), mtDNA (P < 0.05) and cytochrome c concentration
(P < 0.05). These changes in markers of mitochondrial biogenesis were associated
with an increase in both maximal endurance capacity (P < 0.05) and voluntary
wheel-running activity (P < 0.05). These benefits of querectin on fitness without
exercise training may have important implications for enhancement of athletic and
military performance and may also extend to prevention and/or treatment of
chronic diseases.


PMID: 19211721 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[olsen]

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/22317.aspx

New data offer hints to why Parkinson’s disease so selectively harms brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine..

... As Parkinson’s kills the dopamine-producing cells, patients begin to develop tremors, problems moving and other symptoms.

... a drug known to damage dopamine-producing nerve cells and mimic Parkinson’s disease does so by rapidly damaging cellular energy generators called mitochondria. This damage impairs the ability of mitochondria to circulate around the cell as they normally would. As a result, axons, the extended arms nerve cells use to send messages, wither; a few days later, the body or main portion of the cell also dies.

“Much of the research into Parkinson’s disease treatments is focused on saving the bodies of these cells, but our results suggest that keeping axons healthy also is essential,”says Karen O’Malley, PhD,... “When axons die back, dopamine is no longer delivered to the neurons that need it. The cell body also has fewer connections to other cells, and it needs those connections to survive.”

The results were published May 11 in The Journal of Neuroscience...


O’Malley suspected that this meant the mitochondria were damaged by the changes caused by the toxin and being shipped back to the cell body for repair. Additional tests supported this theory, showing that the mitochondria had lost their ability to maintain their membrane potential, a measure of mitochondrial fitness...

[lindylanka]

B vitamins again! very interested in this, as there is also a connection through the way our blood cells are manufactured..... if this is disrupted..... well I'll leave it for science to figure out but the plot is thickening!

[imark3000]

Originally Posted by olsen

http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/58132/

Volume 25 | Issue 5 | Page 30
Date: 2011-05-01
By Megan Scudellari
Power Failure
Does mitochondrial dysfunction lie at the heart of common, complex diseases like cancer and autism?
Read more: Power Failure - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/article...#ixzz1Lc4RYaHa

The concept that disease is due to faults in energy system is in tune with Chinese medicine, which attributes illness to blockages in the flow of energy and treatments like acupuncture and tai chi aim at removing these blockages.

A previous thread included reference to other related research, which suggests using diabetic medicines to treat mitochondria dysfunction. See below.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ochondria+imad

[VICTORIALOU]

I mistakenly just posted a new thread about this same info.....
It really emphasized N-A-C (N-acetyl-L-Cysteine) and Glutathione as being able t o block the toxin from disrupting/ destroying the mitochondria

[wendy s]

I also have Dr. Wahl's book about mitochondria and diet. I find it really difficult to eat the amount of vegetables she recommends in a day, but the days that I do , I feel better. The meds work better, last longer, and my fatigue is a lot less. There was one day when I'd been able to stick to her program for a few days that I went seven hours without needing meds, instead of the usual three.

The book is "Minding My Mitochondria" 2nd edition by Dr. Terry Wahl. Lots of information about science, diet, her personal experience, recipes, and over 350 references.