PLT Test Blog

When I first started this blog and my investigation into the biology of autism, I did shy away from the more complex areas like genetics.  I assumed that this would be best left to the “experts” and be beyond the powers of those without fancy laboratory tools. My literature review took me early on to oxidative stress and then neuroinflammation.  I deduced that in the case of neuroinflammation, it might be possible to control inflammatory cytokines using statins.  I also noted the use of statins in TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). I thought it would be harmless to do a quick trial, not really expecting anything to happen; but it did, and from the very first dose. The literature is full of references to lipid dysfunction in autism and one large sub-group in autism is known to have high cholesterol.  Cholesterol and inflammation are now known to go hand in hand.  When inflammation is present, the body can react by laying down a protective layer of cholesterol....

I hope he took his  Sulforaphane This month thousands of runners braved thick smog at the Beijing marathon, with some even donning masks as air pollution soared to 16 times the maximum recommended level. Johns Hopkins have been trialing their Sulforaphane in China as a therapy to counter the health effects of air pollution. It was proposed that the potent anti-oxidant and chemoprotective protective properties of Sulforaphane would be a cheap way to protect the health of people living in highly polluted environments. Broccoli sprout beverage enhances detoxification of air pollutants in clinical trial  or the actual study:- Rapid and Sustainable Detoxication of Airborne Pollutants by Broccoli Sprout Beverage: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial in China Abstract Broccoli sprouts are a convenient and rich source of the glucosinolate, glucoraphanin, which can generate the chemopreventive agent, sulforaphane, an inducer of glutathione S -transferases (GST) and other cytoprotecti...

T his brief post addresses one further issue as to why people with autism can often suffer from various nasty gastrointestinal (GI) problems.  First a recap. Mast Cell Activation We have already seen that some people’s GI problems are caused by mast cell activation/degranulation.  These cells are activated by allergens (certain foods in this case) and then they release histamine and other pro-inflammatory agents like IL-6.  Degranulation of mast cells can itself cause pain, but the main problem is the resulting damage/inflammation caused by the IL-6 and histamine. The effective therapy is a mast cell stabilizer.  These include Verapamil (better known as a calcium channel blocker), Cromolyn Sodium, Ketotifen, Azelastine and to a lesser extent most anti-histamines like Claritin, Zyrtec etc.  Quercetin, the flavonoid, also has an effect. Pancreatic Dysfunction We also saw that L-type calcium channel (Cav1.2) dysfunction in the pancreas may disrupt the production of...