Scorpion--Thanks for posting this. I don’t know whether or not I’d label it a breakthrough but I’m definitely pleased that they took a look at the level of neurosteroids in MS brains as I’ve been interested in hormones and their relationship to MS (or not) for a long time.
Neurosteroids include what are commonly thought of as the sex hormones. They garnered the name
“neurosteroids” because instead of being produced by the gonads they are made de novo
“in the brain, by the brain, for the brain” as one researcher said. So, it’s an interesting find that in the brains of people with MS there are lower levels of some of them. Research suggests they may provide powerful neuroprotection.
In the research here they found that allopregnanolone (and other neurosteroids) were lower in MS patient brains.
Allopregnanolone is a metabolite of the hormone progesterone.
I sense that you have something of an interest in stem cells so you might be interested in this info:
Stem cells with neurogenic potential and steroid hormones] (full text available)
Quote:
Although the initially identified actions of estradiol, progesterone and testosterone are related to sexual reproductive functions, recent evidence shows that these steroid hormones modulate development, physiology and survival of nerve cells.
Furthermore, neurosteroids can be synthesized in the developing and adult nervous system.
The main focus of this review is to summarize the described effects of steroid hormones (progesterone, allopregnanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol and androgens) on cell parameters relevant to stem cells
steroid hormones influence stem cell behavior by several mechanisms
in some instances, these hormones can substitute or modulate the action of growth factors, and also directly influence self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation or cell death of neurogenic stem cells
Questor—Thanks for posting the abstract. With your interest in neuroprotection you may be interested in a couple of articles:
Neuroprotection of sex steroids full article available and
Mechanism of progesterone neuroprotection of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation full article available
Quote:
Progesterone potentiates GABA(A) receptor activity indirectly through its metabolites, such as allopregnanolone (ALLO).
For all you guys out there take note—men also synthesize progesterone:
Progesterone as a neuroprotective factor in traumatic and ischemic brain injuryQuote:
Laboratories around the world have shown that progesterone and allopregnanolone act through numerous metabolic and physiological pathways that can affect the injury response in many different tissues and organ systems.
Furthermore, progesterone is a natural hormone, synthesized in both males and females, that can act as a pro-drug for other metabolites with their own distinct mode of action in CNS repair.
Rainer--I definitely agree about being pro-active in treating MS.
KateCW.—I wonder if they were referring to the estriol and progesterone trials? Or, if perhaps they thought that neuros might start recommending progesterone (it’s available over the counter). I am not in either trial but I am on 8 mg of estriol and 500 mg of progesterone (I had none when my hormone levels were tested—and contrary to the suggestion in the article that whatever it is they’re talking about would be oral, I personally found that oral progesterone did not raise my progesterone levels, but progesterone as a cream did.)
And, if anyone even considers pursuing this in any way I highly recommend that you first have your hormone levels tested to be certain that you try to achieve balanced levels of all of them.
That’s it for the moment…will be interesting to follow this.
Take care all
Sharon
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