Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: the Toxic Exposure Connection
Bernie Windham(Ed.) Chemical Engineer
I. Introduction.
ALS is a systemic motor neuron disease that affects the
corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts, ventral horn motor neurons, and motor cranial nerve nuclei(405). Approximately 10 percent of ALS cases are of the familial type that has been linked to a mutation of
the copper/zinc super oxide dismustase gene(Cu/Zn SOD). The majority of ALS cases are of the sporadic type.
Based on studies of groups of monozygous twins, animal studies, and ALS patient case studies, the majority of ALS cases do not appear to be genetic but rather have
primarily environmental related causes (405,416,423,471,520,93,94,97,etc.).
Some of the mechinisms of neural damage found in ALS include increased free radical generation/oxidative damage, impaired electron transport, disrupted
calcium channel function, neurotoxicity, oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA/ inhibition of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and generalized disruption of metabolism of neuroexciotoxic amino acids like glutamate, aspartate, NAAG. The mechanisms by which exposure to mercury and other neurotoxic substances cause all of this will be documented.
Some of the toxic exposures which have been found to be a factor in ALS other than mercury include lead, pesticides(especially pyretherins), Lyme disease, failed root canaled teeth, and smoking
(93,94,471,35,437).
All have been demonstrated to cause the some of the mechanisms of damage listed above seen in ALS and since such exposures are common as is exposure to mercury, such exposures appear to synergistically cause the types of damage seen in ALS. This paper will demonstrate that mercury is the most common of toxic substances which are documented to accumulate through chronic exposure in the neurons affected by ALS and which have been documented to cause all of the conditions and symptoms seen in ALS.
The main factors determining whether chronic conditions are induced by metals appear to be exposure and genetic susceptibility, which determines individuals immune sensitivity and ability to detoxify metals(405). Very low levels of exposure have been found to seriously affect relatively large groups of individuals who are immune sensitive to toxic metals, or have an inability to detoxify metals due to such as deficient sulfoxidation or metallothionein function or other inhibited enzymatic processes related to detoxification or excretion of metals.
References other than mercury related:
(93) Vaccari A, Ruiu S, Mocci I, Saba P, Bernard B. Brodie. Selected pyrethroid insecticides stimulate glutamate uptake in brain synaptic vesicles. Neuroreport 1998 Oct 26;9(15):3519-23; Gassner B, Wuthrich A, Scholtysik G, Solioz M; The pyrethroids permethrin and cyhalothrin are potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial complex I. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1997 May;281(2):855-60; Narahashi T. Nerve membrane Na+ channels as targets of insecticides. Trends Pharmacol Sci 1992 Jun;13(6):236-41; Zhao X, Dai S, Chen G. Inhibition of glutamate uptake in rat brain synaptosome by pyrethroids. Chung Hua Yu Fang I Hsueh Tsa Chih 1995 Mar;29(2):89-91; Eldefrawi AT, Eldefrawi ME. Receptors for gamma-aminobutyric acid and voltage-dependent chloride channels as targets for drugs and toxicants. FASEB J 1987 Oct;1(4):262-71; D. Zuccari Bissacot and I. Vassilieff. HPLC Determination of Flumethrin, Deltamethrin, Cypermethrin, and Cyhalothrin Residues in the Milk and Blood or Lactating Dairy Cows. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 21, Number 5, September 1997, pp. 397 -402.; Gassner B, Wuthrich A, Lis J, Scholtysik G, Solioz M. Topical application of synthetic pyrethroids to cattle as a source of persistent environmental contamination.J Environ Sci Health B 1997 Sep;32(5):729-39; Patient Information Network,Exposure Survey of patients with ALS,
http://members.aol.com/alspinpoint/results.html
(94) Conradi S, Ronnevi LO, Vesterberg O. Abnormal tissue distribution of lead in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 1976 Oct;29(2-4):259-65: & Nelson LM, McGuire V, Longstreth WT Jr, Matkin C. Population-based case-control study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in western Washington State. I. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Am J Epidemiol 2000 Jan 15;151(2):156-63; & McGuire V, Longstreth WT Jr, van Belle G. Occupational exposures and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A population-based case-control study. Am J Epidemiol
1997 Jun 15;145(12):1076-88.
(437) Affinity Labeling Technology, Inc.(Dental Lab), oral toxicity testing technology and tests, see research web pages on amalgam toxicity, root canals, cavitaions.
http://www.altcorp.com ; & G. Mienig, Root Canal Coverup, 1997.
(35) Huggins HA, Levy,TE, Uniformed Consent: the hidden dangers in dental care, 1999, Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc
(471) Umanekii KG, Dekonenko EP. Structure of progressive forms of tick-borne encephalitis. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 1983;83(8):1173-9. [article in Russian]; & B Hemmer, F X Glocker, R Kaiser. Generalised motor neuron disease as an unusual manifestation of Borrelia burgdorferi infection. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1997;63:257-258;& Fredrikson S, Link H. CNS-borreliosis selectively affecting central motor neurons. Acta Neurol Scand 1988;78:181-184[Medline]; & Halperin JJ, Kaplan GP, Brazinsky S, et al. Immunologic reactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with motor neuron disease. Arch Neurol 1990;47:586-594.
Paper & Mercury related references: www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/als.html
