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Article mentions myelin.

Research suggests link between pesticides and brain disease

Researchers at the University of North Dakota say preliminary research shows a link between pesticide exposure and neurological diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Researchers say they've also identified a surprisingly efficient way pesticides may get into the human body.
Researchers at the University of North Dakota are quick to point out these are preliminary results -- covering one year of a planned four-year study.

But Dr. Patrick Carr says there's clear evidence pesticide exposure at relatively low doses affect brain cells.

"Some areas of the brain displayed what I would call physical changes -- in other words, a loss of neurons in particular regions of the brain," says Carr. "In other regions of the brain you wouldn't notice a change in the number of cells present there, but now the cells that are present there are expressing chemicals in different amounts, compared to normal rats."

As an example, Carr found cells responsible for production of a substance called myelin were damaged or destroyed. Myelin is a substance made up of fats and proteins that encloses nerves. It helps transmit signals along the nerves. Loss of myelin causes nerve damage in neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Researchers studied six common pesticides. Carr says some rats were given a single large dose, while others were injected with small doses over a nine-month period.

"It's hard to then correlate that to what the average person that's working with pesticides would be exposed to," says Carr. "We're not at that position yet, where we can say this is comparable to what these people working with pesticides, short term or long term, are exposed to."

Dr. Carr hopes to have his results completely analysed by next spring.

Gerald Groenwald, director of energy and environmental research, says there's clearly a need to continue and expand the research.

"What this research says is that we have started to open some doors and shine some light in a very objective fashion, a very comprehensive fashion, on this group of questions," says Groenwald. "And it says, more than ever, that this research is extremely important not only here in the Red River Valley, but basically globally."

Groenwald says other researchers are also looking at ways people are exposed to pesticides. He says people commonly think of being exposed to pesticides through contaminated water or food. But he believes the most efficient means of exposure is through tiny airborne particles of pollen.

Groenwald says some beneficial drugs are delivered as tiny particles, which are inhaled deep into the lungs.

He says researchers found tiny bits of pollen carried on the wind carry with them a load of pesticide.

"Frankly, if there is a link between pesticides and these diseases, I think the very fine pollen is the transport mechanism, and is in some cases you might say the smoking gun," he says.

Groenwald says because there are relatively few competing airborne pollutants in the Red River Valley, it's a perfect place to study airborne pesticide pollution.

Groenwald hopes to continue and expand the study over the next three years, depending on how much funding the research receives.

Source: Minnesota Public Radio ©2006

oo

I worked on a farm for 15 years when i was younger. It was a vegetable farm and we use to use a tone of different chemicals, my dad aways use to think that had somthing to do with the ms but who knows it might or might not. If it is a factor they need to find out quick, maby there could be a way to stop future ms'ers.

Can't resist contributing to this topic. Maybe it is, at least, an MS and other disease factor.

My alternative doc has a stack of brochures from this org. in my state. Lots of info and links:

http://www.mdpestnet.org/

And, robbie, this is a dairy farm site, with a link to the health problems, attributed to DDT, experienced by one of the owner's sons. He was treated at the Cleveland Clinic, and changed their farming production protocol because of it. I used to buy their milk when I lived in Ohio:

http://www.hartzlerfamilydairy.com/family06.html

Also, last weekend, on a tour of the National Holocaust Museum; I was astounded to learn that the gas used in gas chambers was made from pesticide pellets previously used in the concentration camps to kill rodents. I never knew this and stared in dismay at these large pesticide pellets that they have on display.

That Holocaust Museum sure triggers my "it could always be worse" mantra on the MS issue and all else, Holocaust-related, of course! Would highly recommend visiting it, for anyone feeling too sorry for themself. There are displays of how those with incurable disease were the first to be hauled off to be killed and/or experimented on. That's likely what might have happened to those of us with MS, had we been living in Nazi Germany. Yes, "it could always be worse!"

Minai

Were they using pesticides in the mid 19th century when multiple sclerosis was first labelled as such? Or wasn't it just manure? I believe MS predates use of modern pesticides.

Minai,




A number of people use this mantra but I (for whatever reason) adopt the complete opposite "it couldn't be any worse" (and in the case of Richard Pryor it couldn't be!).

In reality I was not after worse or better just normal (as my friends, colleagues and family are i.e haven't got a chronic disease at a fairly young age).

It's interesting how different people with this disease have different ways of seeing it / dealing with it.

Ian

It's so hard somtimes to deal with how crappy you feel. On the good days you start to think that things could be worse but on the bad days you feel like nothing could be worse than this. It's like a roller coaster of emotions. I have a friend with ms and he diden't even get a years grace before he was in a wheelchair, it's been 13 years for me so for me to say it couldn't be any worse would be a slap in his face..rob

oo