IUBio

pathological transfer

F. Frank LeFever flefever at ix.netcom.com
Sun Dec 1 16:08:28 EST 1996


In <265 at homostudy.win-uk.net> gord at homostudy.win-uk.net (G K GRAY)
writes: 
>
> 
>In article <19961121030600.WAA00408 at ladder01.news.aol.com>,
vdenegri at aol.com (vdenegri at aol.com) writes:
>>Does anyone know of any cases of transfer of a pathogen or
>>pathogen-derived substance from peripheral parts of the body through
and
>>into the parietal lobe of the brain affecting intellectual activity?
>>
>>Any insights would be appreciated.
>>
>>jtk
>>GMU in VA
>
>Happens in Multiple Sclerosis because the Blood-Brain Barrier is
>faulty. Any part of the brain can be affected.
>
>Gord 
>
Interleukin-1 is involved in many normal and pathological activities
involving immune and neural systems.  There has been some debate as to
whether it could enter brain from peripheral sources in significant
quantities, except in cases of BBB breach (as in MS, as Gord points
out, for one example).  HOWEVER, there are ways in which peripheral
IL-1 activity can induce PRODUCTION of IL-1 in the brain: best
researched example, via the vagus (see work by Linda Watkins et al.).
   
I presented paper at Society for Neuroscience 2 wks ago describing ways
IL-1, mast cells, and nitric oxide could be involved in some chronic
symptoms of mild head injury.  This was follow-up to paper at meeting
of International Neuropsychological Society and Australian Society for
Study of Brain Injury (Cairns, July 1995).

The angle I was emphasizing was so-far ignored role of brain mast cells
in these interactions, and their likely upregulation in the brain after
trauma (and after a few other things--e.g.Lyme disease).  I argue for
brain origin rather than migration from periphery; however, as with
IL-1,  there are many peripheral agents and events which can activate
them (n.b. activate does not necessarily mean degranulation and release
of massive amounts of histamine; MC are more versatile than that...).

My eyes were opened to varied roles of MC by lecture Rae Silver
(Barnard) gave at NY Academy of Sciences a couple of years ago.  She
studies their apparent NORMAL role in avian reproducctive behavior.

So far, data on normal animals suggests MC mainly in thalamus, with
perhaps slightly fewer in hippocampus, both relevant to arguments I am
making, but sparse elsewhere (e.g. parietal lobe).  HOWEVER,
uypreggulation of MC and/or IL-1 and/or IL-1 receptors after TRAUMA to
parietal lobe might provide basis for its later sensitivity to
peripheral pathogens, etc.

Bear in mind, howver, that the thalamus is in a position to influence
EVERYTHING the parietal cortex does...

Frank
New York Neuropsychology Group




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