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Tuesday 21 February 2017

Mitochondrial Disease and Autsim




Today’s post was originally intended to look at some further methods used to enhance cognitive function. Unlike people with typical mild cognitive impairment (MCI), some people with autism exhibit highly variable cognitive function, one way this is visible is in their hand writing quality. We previously saw that in cases of PANDAS/PANS, deterioration of hand writing is also seen during acute episodes. 
One possible cause of cognitive decline is mitochondrial dysfunction.  This is a highly complex subject in its own right and so I decided to start with a post introducing mitochondrial disease and dysfunction.
  
Mitochondria

Mitochondria are tiny organelles found in almost every cell in the body. These organelles are responsible for creating 90% of cellular energy necessary to maintain life and support growth. Mitochondrial disease occurs when mitochondria in the cells fail to produce enough energy to sustain cell life. When enough cells cease to function properly organs, motor functions, and the neurological system can become impaired.
Mitochondrial disease is often misdiagnosed due to the fact many of the symptoms are synonymous with other, more common, diseases.
In more scientific terms mitochondrial disease refers to a wide ranging group of disorders resulting in defective cellular energy production due to abnormal oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which is explained a little later.

Primary Mitochondrial Disease (PMD) vs Secondary Mitochondrial Dysfunction (SMD)
I received a comment a while back from a parent who said that tests had ruled out mitochondrial disease.  It is actually a very grey area, where it is much easier to rule it in, than out. It looks like most people with autism have some mitochondrial dysfunction, albeit perhaps minor compared to those with an identified error in a critical gene, which is today relatively easy to diagnose.

Primary Mitochondrial Disease (PMD) is inborn; people with PMD gave a genetic variance that makes them vulnerable to a loss of mitochondrial function.  This loss may not begin until later in life and may increase in severity.
PMD is extremely rare in the general population, but is thought to occur in about 5% of cases of autism.
Primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) is diagnosed clinically and ideally, but not always, confirmed by a known or indisputably pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear DNA (nDNA) mutation. The PMD genes either encode oxphos proteins directly or they affect oxphos function by impacting production of the complex machinery needed to run the oxphos process.
Secondary mitochondrial dysfunction (SMD) is much more common than PMD. SMD can be caused by genes encoding neither function nor production of the oxphos proteins and accompanies many hereditary non-mitochondrial diseases. SMD may also be due to non-genetic causes such as environmental factors.
SMD has been documented in a variety of autoimmune processes including multiple sclerosis and lupus.
Aging contributes to oxidative stress in virtually all organs and tissues in the body and increases the risk for SMD.
Altered mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics have been found to be a recurring theme in neurodegeneration. There is evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
A significant number of metabolic disorders include SMD as a part of their phenotypes.
Abnormal biomarkers of mitochondrial function are very common in autism.  Depending on whose data you consider, you can say that SMD is present in a substantial minority or even a majority of cases.
Ideally you would use genetic testing to try to distinguish between PMD and SMD. This is important, since their treatments and prognoses can be quite different. However, even in the absence of the ability to distinguish between PMD and SMD, treating SMD with standard treatments for PMD can be effective.

Diagnosis of PMD, SMD and specific subtypes
Some researchers/clinicians make the issue of diagnosis sound very clear cut, whereas others see it as a subjective diagnosis associated with some “ifs” and “maybes”.

Mitochondrial dysfunction can affect the whole body or be organ specific. You can take a muscle biopsy for analysis but not a brain biopsy.
There are a small number of well-known specialists who diagnose mitochondrial dysfunction. They all have their own favoured treatments and they do vary.  


Oxidative phosphorylation
Oxidative phosphorylation (or OXPHOS in short) is the metabolic pathway in which cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing energy.  This takes place inside mitochondria.

Although oxidative phosphorylation is a vital part of metabolism, it produces reactive oxygen species such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, which lead to propagation of free radicals, damaging cells and contributing to disease.
The five enzymes required have simplified names: complex I, complex II, complex III, complex IV, and complex V.
In the mitochondria, converting one molecule of glucose to carbon dioxide and water produces up to 36 ATPs. This does also require the presence of oxygen, in the absence of oxygen a different, much less efficient process is followed.  This is where some sportsmen seek to cheat by increasing the amount of oxygen in their blood.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a small molecule used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often referred to as the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer.

ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism. Most cellular functions need energy in order to be carried out: synthesis of proteins, synthesis of membranes, movement of the cell, cellular division, transport of various solutes etc. ATP is the molecule that carries energy to the place where the energy is needed.

When ATP breaks into ADP (Adenosine diphosphate) and Pi (phosphate), energy is liberated.
By analyzing the level of certain byproducts of the five major steps between glucose and ATP you can determine which of the five enzyme complexes might be deficient.
Many poisons and pesticides target one of the enzyme complexes.  Inhibition of any step in this process will halt the rest of the process. One of these poisons, 2,4-Dinitrophenol, was actually used as an anti-obesity drug in the 1930s.


Complex I to V in Autism
The clinicians who like genetic testing look for concrete evidence of Primary Mitochondrial Disease (PMD). Other clinicians look for tell-tale signs in the level of chemicals like lactate and pyruvate to make diagnosis; this might suggest that a specific enzyme complex is deficient.

So if you have a diagnosis of say complex 1 deficiency, you can then go into the detail of that step in the process.  Here is gets rather complicated because 51 different genes encode components of complex 1.  Any one of them being down regulated could impair the level of complex 1.  


The researchers obtained blood samples from each child and analyzed the metabolic pathways of mitochondria in immune cells called lymphocytes. Previous studies sampled mitochondria obtained from muscle, but the mitochondrial dysfunction sometimes is not expressed in muscle. Muscle cells can generate much of their energy through anaerobic glycolysis, which does not involve mitochondria. By contrast, lymphocytes, and to a greater extent brain neurons, rely more heavily on the aerobic respiration conducted by mitochondria.

The researchers found that mitochondria from children with autism consumed far less oxygen than mitochondria from the group of control children, a sign of lowered mitochondrial activity. For example, the oxygen consumption of one critical mitochondrial enzyme complex, NADH oxidase, in autistic children was only a third of that found in control children. 

Complex I was the site of the most common deficiency, found in 60 percent of autistic subjects, and occurred five out of six times in combination with Complex V. Other children had problems in Complexes III and IV.

Levels of pyruvate, the raw material mitochondria transform into cellular energy, also were elevated in the blood plasma of autistic children. This suggests the mitochondria of children with autism are unable to process pyruvate fast enough to keep up with the demand for energy, pointing to a novel deficiency at the level of an enzyme named pyruvate dehydrogenase.

"The various dysfunctions we measured are probably even more extreme in brain cells, which rely exclusively on mitochondria for energy," 
"Children with mitochondrial diseases may present exercise intolerance, seizures and cognitive decline, among other conditions. Some will manifest disease symptoms and some will appear as sporadic cases," said Cecilia Giulivi, the study's lead author and professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. "Many of these characteristics are shared by children with autism."

Therapy
It looks like Dr Kelley, formerly at Johns Hopkins, has the largest following by those treating autism secondary to mitochondrial disease (AMD). Treatment includes augmentation of residual complex I activity with carnitine, thiamine, nicotinamide, and pantothenate, and protection against free radical injury with several antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha-lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10.
Dr Frye is a prolific publisher, unlike Dr Kelley, and their therapies do differ.  The table below is from one of Dr Frye’s papers.



Dr Frye likes his B vitamins. On his list are B vitamins  1,2,3,5,6,7,9 and 12


Dr Kelley is a big believer in the benefit of carnitine:


“Mutation in one or more subunits of mitochondrial complex I in AMD also is suggested by the often immediate response to carnitine, which activates latent complex I by the same NDUSF7/phosphatase-kinase system that activates pyruvate dehydrogenase.  Although immediate behavioral improvement with carnitine treatment in a child with regressive autism makes complex I deficiency the most likely cause, the similar effect of carnitine to activate latent pyruvate dehydrogenase complex recommends consideration of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency in the child with atypical autism and substantial postprandial lactic acidemia.”

“Supplemental carnitine enhances the conversion of acyl-CoAs to free CoA + acylcarnitines, thereby raising the intramitochondrial free CoA/acyl-CoA ratio and activating the phosphatase that reverses the inhibitory phosphorylation of NDUFS7.  Pharmacological amounts of pantothenic acid increase the synthesis of free CoA in mitochondria [22], which increases further the free-CoA/acyl-CoA ratio.  Raising the free-CoA/acyl-CoA ratio recruits more functional complex I units to compensate for the partial deficiency of complex I.  Because complex I is the rate limiting step in the mitochondrial respiratory chain for most substrates, each percentage increase in complex I activity should be followed by a substantial fraction of that percentage increase in mitochondrial ATP synthesis  

A problem with carnitine is very low bioavailability. 


Carnitine is important for cell function and survival primarily because of its involvement in the multiple equilibria between acylcarnitine and acyl-CoA esters established through the enzymatic activities of the family of carnitine acyltransferases. These have different acyl chain-length specificities and intracellular compartment distributions, and act in synchrony to regulate multiple aspects of metabolism, ranging from fuel-selection and -sensing, to the modulation of the signal transduction mechanisms involved in many homeostatic systems. This review aims to rationalise the extensive range of experimental and clinical data that have been obtained through the pharmacological use of L-carnitine and its short-chain acylesters, over the past two decades, in terms of the basic biochemical mechanisms involved in the effects of carnitine on the various cellular acyl-CoA pools in health and disease.


4.3. L-Carnitine: a conditional drug?

The potential limitation of L-carnitine-based “mitochondrial” therapy may be overcome through the attainment of supraphysiological concentrations of L-carnitine in plasma and target organs, so as to elicit the desired pharmaco-metabolic response. In target organs such as liver, heart, and skeletal muscle, the intracellular L-carnitine pool is in the high micromolar to low millimolar range, whereas in the plasma it is in the low micromolar range [124]. In addition, taking into account that physiological plasma levels of L-carnitine almost saturate the high-affinity L-carnitine transporters, relatively high L-carnitine
plasma exposures are required to significantly achieve organ Lcarnitine
increases. Under these conditions, it is possible that Lcarnitine moves into the intracellular milieu via passive diffusion and/or a low-affinity carnitine transporter [125]. However, the increase of L-carnitine plasma exposure upon L-carnitine oral administration, even when using high doses (e.g. more than 2 grams per day) [124], is quite modest, since L-carnitine has a very poor absorption and bioavailability, a very high renal clearance, and active uptake into tissues by a high-affinity transporter [124,125]. Intravenous administration of L-carnitine might overcome such a problem, particularly for acute/short-term treatment of hospitalized patients. However, this route of administration may present difficulties, particularly when kidney function is intact, because the efficient tubular reabsorption process ensures that more than 95% of L-carnitine filtered by glomeruli is retained [124,126]. Moreover, since renal tubular
reabsorption occurs via an active transporter, once the transporter
is saturated the excess of exogenous L-carnitine is readily excreted.
  
A Carnitine Analog Perhaps?
I did write a post about Meldonium/Mildronate, a drug that was made famous by the Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova.  This drug was developed in Latvia.

One of its effects is thought to be increasing the size of blood vessels and therefore improving blood flow; this increases exercise endurance.
This fact was very well known in the old Soviet Union and Meldonium was widely used by their soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.  At high altitudes there is less oxygen in the air you breathe and ultimately less in your blood and this compromises the ability of infantry soldiers.
The western world’s military have long used  acetazolamide/Diamox which makes your blood more acidic and this  fools the body into thinking it has an excess of CO2, and it excretes this imaginary excess CO2 by deeper and faster breathing, which in turn increases the amount of oxygen in the blood.   
Other than sportswomen and soldiers, Meldonium is used to treat coronary artery disease, where problems may sometimes lead to ischemia, a condition where too little blood flows to the organs in the body, especially the heart. Because this drug is thought to expand the arteries, it helps to increase the blood flow as well as increase the flow of oxygen throughout the body.
Meldonium also appears to have neuroprotective properties particularly relevant to the mitochondria.  At one point I thought this was just the Latvian researchers clutching at straws trying to push their drug as a panacea.
Rather, I think perhaps its core action may include making the mitochondria work a little better, by increasing complex 1. This might also increase stamina and it should also improve cognition in some.

Mildronate has a very similar structure to carnitine.






 Previously, we have found that mildronate [3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium) propionate dihydrate], a small molecule with charged nitrogen and oxygen atoms, protects mitochondrial metabolism that is altered by inhibitors of complex I and has neuroprotective effects in an azidothymidine-neurotoxicity mouse model


The aim of this study was to investigate: (1) whether mildronate may protect mitochondria from AZT-induced toxicity; and (2) which is the most critical target in mitochondrial processes that is responsible for mildronate's regulatory action. The results showed that mildronate protected mitochondria from AZT-induced damage predominantly at the level of complex I, mainly by reducing hydrogen peroxide generation. Significant protection of AZT-caused inhibition of uncoupled respiration, ADP to oxygen ratio, and transmembrane potential were also observed. Mildronate per se had no effect on the bioenergetics, oxidative stress, or permeability transition of rat liver mitochondria. Since mitochondrial complex I is the first enzyme of the respiratory electron transport chain and its damage is considered to be responsible for different mitochondrial diseases, we may account for mildronate's effectiveness in the prevention of pathologies associated with mitochondrial dysfunctions.




Previously we demonstrated that mildronate [3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium) propionate dihydrate], a representative of the aza-butyrobetaine class of compounds, protects mitochondrial metabolism under conditions such as ischemia. Mildronate also acted as a neuroprotective agent in an azidothymidine-induced mouse model of neurotoxicity, as well as in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. These observations suggest that mildronate may stimulate processes involved in cell survival and change expression of proteins involved in neurogenic processes. The present study investigated the influence of mildronate on learning and memory in the passive avoidance response (PAR) test and the active conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test in rats. The CAR test employed also bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-treated animals. Hippocampal cell BrdU incorporation was then immunohistochemically assessed in BrdU-treated, CAR-trained rats to identify proliferating cells. In addition, the expression of hippocampal proteins which could serve as memory enhancement biomarkers was evaluated and compared to non-trained animals' data. These biomarkers included glutamic acid decarboxylase 65/67 (GAD65/67), acetylcholine esterase (AChE), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and the transcription factor c-jun/activator protein-1 (AP-1). The results showed that mildronate enhanced learning/memory formation that coincided with the proliferation of neural progenitor cells, changing/regulating of the expression of biomarker proteins which are involved in the activation of glutamatergic and cholinergic pathways, transcription factors and adhesion molecule.

The data from our study suggest that mildronate may be useful as a possible cognitive enhancer for the treatment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases with dementia.



Mildronate Dosage
Interestingly, the neuroprotective dose of Mildronate is much lower than the usual dose.




Summary. This review for the first time summarizes the data obtained in the neuropharmacological studies of mildronate, a drug previously known as a cardioprotective agent. In different animal models of neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases, we demonstrated its neuroprotecting activity. By the use of immunohistochemical methods and Western blot analysis, as well as some selected behavioral tests, the new mechanisms of mildronate have been demonstrated: a regulatory effect on mitochondrial processes and on the expression of nerve cell proteins, which are involved in cell survival, functioning, and inflammation processes. Particular attention is paid to the capability of mildronate to stimulate learning and memory and to the expression of neuronal proteins involved in synaptic plasticity and adult neurogenesis. These properties can be useful in neurological practice to protect and treat neurological disorders, particularly those associated with neurodegeneration and a decline in cognitive functions.

Concluding Remarks

The obtained data give a new insight into the influence of mildronate on the central nervous system.

This drug shows beneficial effects in the regulation of cell processes necessary for cell integrity and survival, particularly by targeting mitochondria and by stabilizing the expression of proteins involved in neuroinflammation and neuroregeneration. These properties can be useful in neurological practice to protect and treat neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetic neuropathies, and ischemic stroke. Moreover, because mildronate improves learning and memory, one may suggest mildronate as a multitargeted neuroprotective/ neurorestorative drug with its therapeutic utility as a memory enhancer in cognitive impairment conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases, schizophrenia, and other pathologies associated with a decline in awareness.

The present review summarizes our previously obtained data which demonstrated the influence of mildronate on mitochondrial processes and the expression of nerve cell proteins involved in the essential pathways for cell survival and functioning. Besides, the effectiveness of mildronate at much lower doses of 20 and 50 mg/kg in comparison with the traditionally recommended doses typical for cardioprotection (100 and 200 mg/kg) has been demonstrated.



Bypass the need for Complex 1 by ketosis?

Almost all the research on mitochondrial disease assumes that you want to convert glucose to ATP.
If a person has an inability to produce enough complex 1 they might be better off switching from glycolysis (glucose as fuel) to ketosis (ketones from fat as fuel).
There are posts in this blog describing the ketogenic diet, which has been widely used for decades to treat epilepsy.

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which some of the body's energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, in contrast to a state of glycolysis in which blood glucose provides most of the energy.

Ketosis is a nutritional process characterized by serum concentrations of ketone bodies over 0.5 mM, with low and stable levels of insulin and blood glucose. It is almost always generalized with hyperketonemia, that is, an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood throughout the body. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis when liver glycogen stores are depleted (or from metabolising medium-chain triglycerides). The main ketone bodies used for energy are acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate, and the levels of ketone bodies are regulated mainly by insulin and glucagon. Most cells in the body can use both glucose and ketone bodies for fuel, and during ketosis, free fatty acids and glucose synthesis (gluconeogenesis) fuel the remainder.

As is often the case, opinion is mixed on the ketogenic diet and mitochondrial disorders. It seems to make some people better and have no effect on others.  This is likely because they do not have precisely the same mitochondrial disorder.



2.6. Dietary manipulations

Several approaches based on dietary measures have been attempted, with controversial results. Ketogenic diet (KD), i.e. a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, has been proposed to stimulate mitochondrial beta-oxidation, and provide ketones, which constitute an alternative energy source for the brain, heart and skeletal muscle. Ketone bodies are metabolized to acetyl-CoA, which enters the Krebs cycle and is oxidized to feed the RC and ultimately generate ATP via OXPHOS. This pathway partially bypasses complex I via increased synthesis of succinate, which donates electrons to the respiratory chain via complex II. Increased ketone bodies have also been associated with increased expression of OXPHOS genes, possibly via a starvation-like response [80]. Starvation is a stressing condition to the cell, which results in activation of many transcription factors and cofactors (including SIRT1, AMPK, and PGC-1α) that ultimately increase mitochondrial biogenesis [80]. KD reduced the mutation load of a heteroplasmic mtDNA deletion in a cybrid cell line from a Kearns–Sayre syndrome patient [81], was shown to increase the expression levels of uncoupling proteins and mitochondrial biogenesis in the hippocampus of mice and rats [82] and [83], and increased mitochondrial GSH levels [84] in rat brain. These phenomena could contribute to explain the anticonvulsant effects of KD. In a preclinical trial on the deletor mouse, KD slowed the progression of mitochondrial myopathy [85]. However, other reports showed that KD can have the opposite effect, and worsens the mitochondrial defect invivo, for instance in the Mterf2−/− [86], or the Mpv17–/−mouse models [87].

Similar to KD, a high fat diet (HFD) was shown to have a protective effect on fibroblasts with complex I deficiency and be effective in delaying the neurological symptoms of the Harlequin mouse, a model of partial complex I defect associated with a homozygous mutation of AIFM1, encoding the mitochondrial apoptosis inducing factor [88].

Similar results could in principle be achieved using other compounds that release succinate in mitochondria. An example is triheptaoin, an anaplerotic compound inducing a rapid increase of plasmatic C4- and C5-ketone bodies, the latter being a precursor of propionyl-CoA, which is then converted into succinyl-CoA. Treatment with triheptaoin has been reported to dramatically improve cardiomyopathy in patients with VLCAD deficiency and myopathic symptoms in CPT2 deficiency patients [89] and [90]. 



Ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet that effectively treats some forms of medically refractory epilepsy [7,8, Class I]. Recent animal research has suggested that the ketogenic diet may be beneficial in optimizing mitochondrial function [9, Class III].
Because many mitochondrial disease patients have secondary fatty acid oxidation disorders, there are limited data on use and safety of the ketogenic diet in patients with these conditions. Only a single report has looked at the lack of efficacy of the ketogenic diet in children with electron transport chain defects and intractable seizures [10, Class IV].
The ketogenic diet is the standard of care for pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, but it is contraindicated in patients with known fatty acid oxidation disorders and pyruvate carboxylase deficiency.

Experimental Therapies

Highlights


o   At present there is no effective cure for mitochondrial diseases.

o   Generalist and tailored therapies are emerging at the pre-clinical level.

o   Some therapies are effective in disease models and ready for translation to patients.

o   Other approaches warrant more work at the pre-clinical level.


Conclusion
Some people’s autism does indeed appear to have been solely caused by the lack of mitochondrial enzymes.  These dysfunctions can be inherited or acquired.

As Dr Kelley suggests, a baby might be born with a 50% reduction in complex 1 and develop normally. Following a viral infection, or other insult, before the brain has substantially matured a further reduction in complex 1 occurs and this tips the balance to where mitochondria cannot function sufficiently. Siblings may have exactly the same biochemical markers, but continue normal development because they avoided the damaging insult that triggered regression at a critical point in the brain’s maturation.
The data does point to mitochondrial dysfunction being present beyond just those with regressive autism, so a little extra complex 1 may be in order for them too.

Of the five enzyme complexes, complex 1 appears to be the most important because it is “rate limiting”, meaning it is usually the enzyme with the least unused capacity.  It becomes the bottleneck in the energy production chain. Many other diseases and aging feature a decline in complex 1 which may account for some people’s loss of cognitive function.
Is mildronate a carnitine analog with better bioavailability? Are its cognitive enhancing effects due to increased blood flow, improved complex 1 availability or perhaps both?  We can only wait till the Latvians do some experiments on schizophrenia and autism.  The good news is that the dose at which the mitochondrial effects occur is five times less than the anti-ischemia dose.

I can see that the dose for athletes is twice the dose for ischemia. So it would seem that tennis players who have used mildronate for ten years, at ten times the mitochondrial dose, might provide some useful safety information.



As you can see from the packaging, the drug must be popular with cyclists too.


Suggested further reading, or indeed re-reading:



Richard I. Kelley, MD, PhD
Division of Metabolism, Kennedy Krieger Institute Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions













26 comments:

  1. Roger, I am not really an expert, I just try to synthesize what I read the experts are writing.

    Sometimes I think that Dr Frye/Rossignol are in a different world to the other researchers. In the study below they very easily appear to determine complex 1- IV activity by collecting buccal cells.

    http://www.nature.com/articles/srep19544

    It all seems very precise and easy.

    I have seen how Dr Kelley, then at Johns Hopkins, diagnoses mitochondrial disorders and it was based on many chemical biomarkers, not just putting a swab in someone’s cheek and popping it in a machine.

    Logically we are talking about a chain (Electron Transport Chain) so what matters is the overall result of all the steps in the chain. So “too much” complex 1 would have no effect if, for example, complex 4 was not able to keep up.

    Also we are talking about maximum potential available energy (ATP) production not actual energy production.

    The mitochondria are not working at 100% capacity unless that energy is demanded.

    The idea of mitochondrial disease is cells dying or demyelinating because they do not have enough energy to function.

    So I am a bit skeptical of "over activity" of complex 1 being a problem at all.

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  2. Peter, melatonin is also a highly relevant antioxidant and it can also modulate, by acting as an agonist, a7 nicotinic receptors.

    I have never stopped melatonin, it always works very well. I currently use 1mg spray and I think it's too little for the case.

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  3. Timely post Peter. I just received a sample report for my daughters buccal swab, we had done the blood screen for mito disease came back normal but i read a paper by Dr. Michael Goldenthal (director of Mitochondrial Disease Lab at St. Christoper's Children's Hospital) regarding checking respiratory chain complex activity and checking via buccal swab. He has done research on ASD and mitochondrial abnormalities. I contacted him and he sent me a text kit for 200US. The results showed: complex 1 in the above range (like Roger Kulp above), and complex I/IV activity very high (3x the control) which apparently is common in ASD but of unknown significance for now. I am playing phone tag with him right now to discuss the results so I will update. A

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  4. Also I might add that the quantity of mitochondria is associated with mitochondrial problems as when the cell cannot keep up with ATP production, its response is to create more mitochondria via fission. The more divisions you have over time, the more chances for errors in replication until enough of the mitochondria don't work at all anymore to keep the cell alive. Also, diseased mitochondria are supposed to be cleaned out via autophagy to make room for better copies of healthy mitochondria, but problems with this process can lead to disease as well. Nevertheless, certain lifestyle factors can limit autophagy and increase these kinds of problems (constant anabolism for instance which is only really supposed to happen in the pre-adult years).

    Of course mitochondria can increase in number in response to stress (exercise) or in some cases if the cell changes its function (white adipose tissue turning into brown adipose tissue), so it is really hard to figure out one way or the other where the hiccup happens to be. On top of that the vast majority of genes the mitochondria use for its purposes have their RNA transcribed in the cell nucleus, not from the mitochondria itself so a lot of problems can happen there as well.

    So in terms of useful interventions, I think it is really hard for anyone to directly diagnose mitochondria disease unless you get lucky with some known genetic mutation (or unlucky rather) that lets you know what may be the actual problems, so in my opinion the best approach if you suspect mitochondrial problems is to just try as many known interventions and hope something sticks to the wall.

    Eventually, the science will catch up as there are legions of billionaires pouring money into anti-aging research in their collective hopes they will be able to live forever while publicly claiming they just want to humbly help "the rest of us", so until the science explains exactly how all of this stuff works, addressing mitochondrial problems is going to be a gray area and any intervention you do is along the lines of hoping you get lucky in fixing whatever might actually be wrong.

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  5. I just had a little idea that popped into my head concerning a topic I believe you covered a while back on vasopressin (ADH).

    First off, even though oxytocin has much more research specific to autism than vasopressin (especially in humans), I was thinking about alternative or complementary reasons why bumetanide and other diuretics seem to have a positive effect on autism symptoms, and in particular cognitive symptoms. Vasopressin as you well know is secreted in response to dehydration and signals the body and in particular the kidneys to retain more water. The osmality of water in the blood is detected via several nuclei in the hypothalamus that control the release of vasopressin in the pituitary gland as a response to decreased osmality of water in the blood. What if this feedback loop is interrupted somehow (or some threshold is too low) such that vasopressin gets released into the body in insufficient amounts because the hypothalamus is not properly sampling the blood to see if water levels are low (to put it simply). This could be because of an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in these nuclei themselves or else they could be dysfunctional for any other number of reasons such as being damaged by oxidative stress or not properly developing in the first place due to developmental insults in utero.

    So what if the hypothalamus thinks the body has excess fluid either because it actually does or because the receptors are dysfunctional. This would mean vasopressin would not be released by the pituitary gland unless there was a sudden change in blood volume via a diuretic like bumetanide which would cause enough of an abrupt change, that vasopressin would be released in response. Of course diuretics are constantly triggering this vasopressin release which keeps the receptor count in equilibrium. In the case where vasopressin release is infrequent (vasopressin itself has a very short half-life), the receptors will upregulate in number and then when the bladder is finally emptied, you have a situation where vasopressin is finally released by the pituitary gland, but the vasopressin receptors in the brain and throughout the body are in excess. This in effect means you have a wild swing back and forth in vasopressin signaling which could be help contribute to the anxiety and aggression associated with it. So in summary, chronic use of diuretics could be helping maintain a healthy equilibrium of vasopressin receptors and prevent these big swings in signaling.

    It would be interesting to see the exact timing of how anxiety/aggression problems pop up in people with autism in relation to voluntary or involuntary (enuresis) voiding of urine as I have never seen a study on the matter that looked at this hypothesis one way or another.

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  6. Tyler, I think you have made a very good point here.
    I have noticed swings after Bumetanide, behavioural changes before/after diuresis. I saw that my son has usually delayed diuresis and thought there is oxidative stress coming from kidneys. I somehow observed an interplay of opposing diuresis forces in his behaviour.

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  7. Another thought I had relevant to mitochondria and autism relates to a new paper I read today which isn't too surprising in that it supports the maternal immune activation theory with yet another environmental insult (this time genital herpes), but what I thought here was that perhaps maternal inflammation is damaging the baby's mitochondria itself, thereby leading to not just problems in generating enough ATP to drive cellular growth processes while in the womb (leading to developmental abnormalities), but also once the child leaves the womb. Women could have perfectly fine mitochondria that they pass on to their offspring, but perhaps the mitochondria are being damaged during gestation. I have not read anything to suggest to the contrary so this is just an idea here and nothing more.

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170222131515.htm

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  8. Hi Tyler,

    What do you make of combination supplements for mitochondrial health...mito cell from neurobiologix made me curious. It has pqq and nadh as the main ingredients...pqq, 'a powerful chemical found in interstellar dust' and pepper captured my imagination. This one is a new formulation, formulated by dr. Stewart. There was another older 'mito cell' with the pqq, this one by dr. Sinatra where astaxanthin was included along with others. You cant find details about it but it is still available.

    The regular commonnly used ones like mitospectra are not really associated with many rave reviews either so just thought why not give the alien stuff a try..who knows my wish upon a star might come true.

    Please give your opinion. If it has no potential to harm, I am willing to try it.

    Regards

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another topic you have covered in the past deals with iron and some new research on cocaine use suggests that iron processing and absorption problems as a result of cocaine use can both cause a peripheral deficiency in iron in the blood that causes increased permeability of the blood brain barrier which allows more iron to enter the brain and accumulate:

    Press Release:

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170221110733.htm

    Paper:

    http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v7/n2/full/tp2016271a.html

    In one area of the brain in particlar called the "global pallidus" (part of the basal ganglia and involved in inhibition) there was a large accumulation of iron in cocaine addicts.

    Now what does this have to do with autism? Well absorption issues of key nutrients via gut and digestion problems, as well as increased permeability of the blood brain barrier, and general problems with inhibition, and in particular the basal ganglia are all hallmarks of autism. What this study shows is one way deficiency in iron for whatever reason can paradoxically cause an increased accumulation of iron in the brain leading to inhibitory processing problems.

    So in addressing basal ganglia related symptoms of dysfunctional inhibition (autism, OCD) perhaps checking iron levels in the blood might be a simple intervention to employ, if for any other reason than to rule out this process of iron accumulation causing additional inhibition problems over time.

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    1. Tyler, there is a disease called "Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation".

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodegeneration_with_brain_iron_accumulation


      Brain iron accumulation affects myelin-related molecular systems implicated in a rare neurogenetic disease family with neuropsychiatric features
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5078858/

      The studies in autism looked at the level of ferritin and iron in the blood. As is often the case, this tells you little about levels in the brain.

      We need reliable and accurate methods to measure numerous risk factors inside the brain. Using samples from brain banks may often not give genuine results, although in the case of iron concentration it should do.

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  10. I just came across a new method of inhibiting Wnt5A signaling in a paper on a melanoma treatment, a topic you recently covered (Wnt signaling that is).

    Press Release:

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170223114744.htm

    Paper:

    http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2017/02/23/1078-0432.CCR-17-0201

    The researchers achieved this with an anti-diabetes drug called rosiglitazone. Now they directly applied this drug to tumor cells, so it is a bit of a stretch to immediately say this could be a great potential repurposing of an existing commercial drug for autism in an identified major autism pathway that is thought to lead to a disrupted E/I balance in the brain.

    I know there are other methods of antagonizing Wnt signaling which I believe you thoroughly covered, but this might be another vector of interest to add to the list of possibilities.

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    1. Tyler, Rosiglitazone/Pioglitazone are interesting and there are trials in autism. They have come up a few times on this blog, but not in connection with Wnt.

      https://epiphanyasd.blogspot.com/search/label/rosiglitazone

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    2. The discussion of EMF/EMR and electrosmog needs to be addressed globally. The die off of species is happening. Eukaryotic organisms are at risk of a decrease in cellular functioning and part of our being is dying on many levels if we do not clean up this technology at all levels and at all sites. The likelihood that the damage was happening and occurring all along throughout development is huge and spans many disease pathways, many metabolic, mitochondrial, functional biological pathways.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7mtQFijZpg

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  11. Peter I would like to know your view on the following as a I got a 'weird hypothesis' on 2 things:

    1st - hand flapping/self stimming:
    I believe this is mitochondria related and the self stimming they do is probably ppar alpha/pgc1a related, self stimming could be a subconsious mechanism to upregulate/activate these mechanisms. FYI I also had hand rubbing when exited at young age, also I always walked without socks on at home and also would have periods where I would put my socks on to heat my feet, then 20-30secs later Id take them off again, then 20-30 sec later on again.
    Now Ive talked before about TRPC/TRPV/TRPM channels, TRPM8 activation for example (the 'menthol receptor') which is activated during cold exposure, upregulates BAT (brown adipose tissue) at the cost of WAT (white adipose tissue) and increases PPAR-alpha/PGC1a transscription thereby increasing mitochondrial efficiency.

    2nd - poor smearing:
    I believe this is the body subconsiously trying to maintain microbial homeostasis, the reason for this 'subconscious/compulsive' behavior is imo either:
    a. to ward of competing strains that the body could possibly be exposed to by for example skin contact (yes certain strains also live on the skin hence why obsessive showering is actually bad for skin health).
    b. re-inforcing the strains that are currently present in the child (basically the kid doesnt want to lose the strains through defecation, thereby is trying to re-introduce them by smearing).
    c. animals such as dogs often also roll in the poop outdoors, it clearly has functions.
    d. microbiome depletion in animal models (ocd cleaning anyone? fear of bacteria anyone) was shown to increase the response to cocaine (their 'high' was better = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5067576/)
    And for those who are wondering I also had this myself (when I was on SSRI's as a kid, I cant remember which SSRI made me do it though its been so long ago).

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  12. Hello Peter,
    This is an old post, but I have a few questions. Could you please help me figuring them out?
    Does it make sense to do Mitoswab after completing WES? Doesn't WES look at the same ECT (I-IV)? Furthermore, if WES already presents a genetic finding of a TRIT1 gene mutation clearly correlated with OXPHOS deficiency 35, would Mitoswab be of any help? Maybe more broad test like WGS+MULTIOMICS (e.g. from Centogene) could be more informative? I'm not sure what to do with our OXPHOS deficiency-related gene; our physicians, geneticist and multiple neurologists certainly do not know what to do with this mutation and prefer to call it a "nonsense", even though it DOES make sense in terms of the clinical presentation of my child.
    Thank you in advance for your insights!
    Madina

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    1. Some mutations in your gene TRIT1 will lead to combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 35 (COXPD35), characterized by global developmental delay with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and early-onset myoclonic and other types of seizures. Affected individuals have variable deficiencies of mitochondrial respiratory enzyme complexes resulting from a defect in mitochondrial metabolism.

      The first thing is whether your child has a small head and other features of COXPD35?

      There are numerous possible tests for COXPD35 listed, just click on the link below.

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/all/tests/?term=54802[geneid]

      What you want is a practical clinician rather than a list of tests.

      If you are in the US you could contact Dr Frye

      https://www.autismprecisioncare.com/mitochondrial

      He has a long waiting list.

      You could also contact researchers/clinicians who have published papers on this subject.

      One way is to use Google Scholar and see who is writing about this subject.

      https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Combined+oxidative+phosphorylation+deficiency+35&btnG=

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    2. Hi Peter, thank you for your response. Yes, all the signs of COXPD, except seizures. I'm not sure about microcephaly- the child is rather slim, the head is not large, but we have a steady growth chart (Head Circ has always been in the 25 percentile). Regarding the physician you mentioned earlier- we saw him. The physical exam did not go beyond reflexes and a stethoscop, considering the efforts we made to make the consult happen- I expected more. Furthermore, the genetic findings were not addressed at all. We were asked to do a mitoswab, but I wonder how it could help us. I have the feeling that often physicians keep loading you with the new tests when they have nothing else to tell you or do not understand what's going on with the patient. In our case, besides genetic pahology, there are also high levels of NSE and S100, which were also disregarded.

      The list of tests for COXPD35 is long and, to be honest, I do not understand the purpose of all of them. The problem is, and you are right in this- we could keep doing the tests, which for me is like shooting in the dark. But without an experienced geneticist and, more importantly, neurocounceling (with a personalized intervention)- the tests findings are not going to improve the outcomes of my child. In the region we are now- it is tragic. ''Not too bad'', ''Come back in 1 year'', ''The genetic findings are nonsense in your case'', ''Most probably, he will be functional, let's see''- we have seen dozens of those neurologists, geneticists, physicians etc. So, now I am trying to reach out the big hospitals abroad. Also, I have the feeling that these ''touring'' physicians which you can see at every ''Autism'' conference are not the answer and, often, a waste of time and money. They build their ''boxes'' of intervention based on their previous practices and will not step out for every single child, but rather will try to fit him into this ''box''- which may not fit at all this particular child.

      Yes, I looked at the research in OXPHOS. There was an interesting paper back in 2009 (doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2008.10.015) and I'm trying to connect to someone in Necker.

      Marina

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    3. Marina, you might as well try the OTC mitococktail that is prescribed by the autism doctors. There is Spectrum Needs or you can use Dr Kelley therapy.

      If you like dietary therapy, you can try and shift towards ketogenic. The OXPHOS process is different to when glucose acts as the fuel input. As a result people with a deficiency in one of the enzyme complexes may benefit from ketone as the fuel input.

      To make more mitochondria you can activate PGC1alpha with the T2 diabetes drug pioglitazone.

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    4. Hi Peter,
      We were actually suggested against the keto diet (by the same neurologist). In addition, my little one has FRa- so no dairy. I also wonder if increased meat consumption plus Carnitine we are heavily supplementing with would not promote atherosclerosis in the future ( https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.723886)- more tests to rule TMAO out (?) From Genova's Organic Acids test I can see a malabsorbtion of fats, probably indicating a fatty acids oxidation disorder (?)
      So, quite a few questions to figure out before shifting my little one to a keto diet.

      I will have to look at Energy Needs, which has been already suggetsted. It is just most of its ingredients my child is already supplementing with. However, I am interested in Taurine (may help with fatty acids absobtion) and Arginine, which helps to improve energy storage in brain and CNS- both are in Energy Needs. If I understand it correctly, Arginine also activates PGC1a, as well as resveratrol and bezafibrate? I feel somewhat confident with trying Arginine and Resveratrol with a toddler, but not sure about pharmaceuticals. What would be the dosage for pioglitazone? Can it be taken together with our polypill? Is it usually taken as a course (what would be the duration?) or on a long-term?

      Thank you for your insights!
      Marina

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    5. Marina, a "nonsense" genetic mutation doesn't mean it has no clinical meaning, it means your child most likely have only 50% of the corresponding protein produced. If the protein is very important this will cause pathology.
      If the mutation on the other hand is considered "benign" it means it has been found in healthy individuals and doesn't cause disease.
      There's also the alternative that the mutation is a "VUS" = variant of unknown significance. This means it is not known yet if it causes disease or not.
      If you have the genetic report you will find some of these words on it.

      /Ling

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    6. Marina, there are no approved drugs to effectively treat mitochondrial disease. The various mito cocktails are trying to avoid further deterioration. You really want better.

      Pioglitazone is not a pediatric drug, nonetheless it has been trialed in young children at what I would consider high doses of 30mg and 60mg. Those trials were not related to PGC1alpha. Take a look at the published trials. I would have thought 15mg would be a more conservative dose,

      You could contact one of the clinicians who ran the autism trial.

      I think activating PGC1alpha would need to be a long term therapy.

      It always seemed to me to be a logical trial to make for someone with mitochondrial disease. I think supplements will lack potency to have much effect

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    7. Peter, I have recently contacted a researcher, who used to be an expert in mitochondrial diseases. He was kind enough to go through the report and refer us to his ex-student, now a professor at big hospital in France. Hopefully, he will be able to help us.

      I am with you on ''supplements will lack potency to have much effect''. However, it is, probably, what kept my child floating. With Fra and COXPD35 you may expect to see someone in really bad cognitive shape. While I have a background allowing me to manipulate the supplements, it is not enough for experimenting on a 3 year old with the pharmaceuticals without an expert beside me.


      Ling, yes- according to the wes report and further re-analysis, our findings are directly related to COXPD35 and it IS pathogenic mutation. While the researcher I mentioned earlier immediately refered us to the department of paediatric mithochondrial diseases, we were not aware of the possibility of genetic issues with our child. We performed wes almost two years ago and discussed the results with two (local) geneticists who did not express any concerns. Interestingly, despite the clinical information (i.e., global developmental delay, ataxia, abnormal muscle tone etc.), the lab itself classified the mutation as ''pathogenic'' and ''nonsense'' at the same time. I cannot explain this until I see an expert working at larger facility in more (healthcare-wise) advanced country.

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    8. Marina, you will struggle to find a clinician willing to try personalized medicine in a 3 year old. But the earlier the intervention is started the great the potential benefit.

      Good luck.

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  13. Hello Peter, here I am again!
    I have just received the Mitoswab results. Immediately dove into literature, but still struggle to connect the dots. My son's RC-I and RC-II are in the normal range (a bit towards the lower end), RC-IV is slightly lower (44% of the normal mean value), RC II+III is low (9% of the mean), and Citrate Synthase is very high.

    Citrate Synthase (CS) reflects the mitochondrial density in skeletal muscle. My son, 3,5 y.o., has low muscle ton, always had. He always struggled with the weight gain and muscle growth, despite a healthy meditarranean diet, proper resting time and supplementing with amino acids. I learned that CS activity can be increased by endurance training or high-intensity interval training, which should further indicate a high performance and maximal oxygen uptake, right? But why CS is so high in my LO, who struggles with energy production, easily fatigues/gets tired quickly?

    Earlier I wrote a post in your blog regarding our WES finding revealing a genetic mutation linked to COXPD-35, where mitochondria energy production is disrupted. This diagnosis is not yet confirmed, and I am trying to work on this ''puzzle'' while we are waiting for the consultation at Necker this summer.

    I am not sure if I am hooking on the right things- COXPD-35 and very high CS activity. But these parameters make some kind of sense to me, considering the major concerns (i.e., struggle with weight gain, struggle with muscle growth, speach delay, difficulties in communication etc.) While I share your phylosophy on ''Fear of doing a therapy vs regret of not doing the therapy'', my personal fear has always been future comorbidities. I bumped on this little article (https://www.proteinatlas.org/news/2016-09-23/citrate-synthase-and-mitochondrial-disease)
    which mentions that the CS cycle is a key in tumor genesis as cancer cells require excess energy to maintain their rapid reproduction. Now I am asking myself a question: where do all amino acids and b-vitamins go in my chid's body? Why don't I see its supposedly anabolic effect on his muscles and increased energy level? Am I paranoic :)?

    Maybe some parents here had a similar experience? Do elevated NSE and S-100 have something to do with this (high CS activity), besides indicating a neuroinflamation? Would you remove/reduce/increase amino acids (Creatine, Arginine, A-L-Carnitine, Taurine)? I would greatly appreciate your insights.

    P.S. We are going to have an autism summit this week in Abu-Dhabi. I went through the list of speakers and many of them I've met and talked to in person, including the renowned international speakers. They all sound very knowledgeable presenting their slides, but, unfortunately, not very helpful when working on a real case, like my child. Two years later, days in Pubmed, dozens of tests- and I still find it challenging to navigate through the diagnostic on my own. Thank you for what you do, Peter!

    Marina

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    1. COXPD-35 (combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 35) is extremely rare) and I do not think autism doctors are likely to be able to help. There are some researchers who have published case studies, they would be the best people to contact and ask about therapies.

      Even though you are not in the US, you could try and contact whoever is now in charge of mitochondrial medicine at Johns Hopkins / Kennedy Krieger. They might be interested in such a rare condition.

      Also, Dr Robert Naviaux, best known for Suramin, is actually specialized in mitochondrial medicine. He does answer emails. He is at:

      https://profiles.ucsd.edu/robert.naviaux

      If you write to him, ask specifically about COXPD-35. I expect he gets hundreds of emails about autism.

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    2. You read my thoughts! I was planning to contact Jacky Harris or Peter Barker at KK just before I finally got an appointment with children's mitochondrial diseases department at Necker a couple of days ago. I will certainly write to Dr. Naviaux- just was not sure he was seeing the cases outside of his research work.

      Also, I think, autism doctors can certainly help. As you mentioned in your book- most of the ASD patients have one or the other form of MD. My child was on comprehensive ASD protocol for the past two years- and it seems to work. It is just ASD doctors are shooting extremely wide, while with a specific MD the target should be narrowed down to get the best results.

      Warmly,
      Marina

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