This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Just saw on the Canadian Global TV News network this evening an article about Prolactin and its apparent effect on pregnant MS patients.

These women produce Prolactin during pregnancy and they discovered that Prolactin rebuilds myelin in the brain lesions of the poor MS mouse. The researchers are likely going to spend two more years testing this on other animals and then depending what they discover, try it on humans.

Here is the link.

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Harry

Thanks for the link Harry.

Somehow it's never seemed surprising that pregnancy, as the life creation process, might hold secrets of restoration and it seems that pregnancy has provided at least two possibilities so far.

While it's not sensible that pregnancy has anything to do with the actual incidence of MS, something like this sure seems to have very interesting potential.

I don't have enough seniority to proclaim you redeemed with this link, but I will put in a good word to Ian in your behalf.

Bob

Here is the story off of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) website.


Hormone repairs MS damage in mice
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 | 5:01 PM ET
CBC News
A hormone produced during pregnancy helps to push multiple sclerosis into remission in mice, Canadian researchers have found.

Scientists have long known that MS tends to ease during pregnancy. The finding prompted Samuel Weiss of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary and his team to look at whether prolactin reverses damage from MS in mice.

The results appear in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Multiple sclerosis causes the body's immune system to attack the protective coating around nerve cells called myelin, leading to damage that cannot be repaired. Reduction in myelin leads to progressive loss of sensation and movement in MS.

Prolactin stimulates breast development and milk production and has been tested in humans for other reasons.

"It's early to be confident that prolactin will definitely work with people," said Weiss. "But prolactin represents the first example of any molecule, in this case a naturally occurring molecule, that can actually boost the repair of myelin."

New direction for research
While current MS treatments are designed to prevent new damage in patients in earlier stages of the disease, there is nothing to repair myelin that has already been destroyed.

"This may give us some ways to now focus on protecting the brain, as opposed to giving therapies that just reduce the attacks," said Dr. Jock Murray, a professor of medicine at Dalhousie University and founding director of its multiple sclerosis research unit.

The Calgary team compared pregnant and virgin female mice of the same age to count the number of myelin-producing cells. They found pregnant mice had:

Twice as many of the cells.
50 per cent more myelin coating their nerve cells after giving birth.
Twice as much new myelin after it was chemically destroyed.
Prolactin may help promote growth of myelin, although trials for MS treatments based on the findings remain about five years away.

Prolactin may also be beneficial for other diseases in which myelin is involved, such as spinal cord injuries and stroke, said Fred Gage of the Salk Institute, who did not participate in the research.

Multiple sclerosis affects about 75,000 Canadians.

The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Bob,



Timing is everything....I just happened to be watching the 5:30 news tonight and this was the first story.

Don't mention it to Ian.....he'll probably claim that I paid the tv station to air the story so I could get back into his good books

Harry

One thing I find unusual about these hormone items, is that women have a considerably higher incidence of MS, yet, whenever you read of hormones helping MS, its a female based hormone.

Lyon,

I posted this story on Tuesday 20 Feb at 2:45am, but I admire Harry Z's attempt to get in my good books. If he contines like this, and sends me his address, he may get a box of chocolates. I can be very forgiving.

Ian

See what your doing with all your talk..

_________________
Had ms for over 19 years now.

Ian,
Seriously, when writing that post I almost mentioned to Harry how forgiving you can be. I almost added that rather than a box of chocolates, he might expect A single chocolate in the mail, but in the end I didn't want to speak for you. Like others have in the past, I underestimated the full scope of your graciousness.
Bob

oh man

_________________
Had ms for over 19 years now.

Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I even make myself queasy sometimes....
Bob

I'm going to read the profiles now--I never realised this was a dating site!






My first thought exactly, Cure! Maybe the hormone levels are low until pregnancy, because neuroprotection/repair/remission seem to occur in late term, (3rd trimester),

Dom.

Hi Dom, now that you mention it!!!! While I would never regret that you were my Valentine this year, I wanted to mention that the fancy English chocolate you sent has been playing hell with my system. Are you sure that ExLax is actually English chocolate? For some reason the name sounds French to me.
Bob

Cure O and Dom

I really don’t understand why this is the first thing that comes to your minds.

And even though I don’t understand your perspectives I’m going to make a few comments.

There has been speculation that testosterone influences susceptibility to MS and that estrogen and progesterone (frequently thought of as female based hormones) provide neuroprotection. Hence, fewer men may actually get MS because of the influence of testosterone, but women may generally tend to have a less severe course because of the neuroprotection afforded by estrogen (and of course I personally think progesterone too but that seems to be mostly off the radar screen yet in MS research).

With regard to myelin specifically, don’t forget that testosterone was identified as the hormone that accounted for men (mice really) having thicker myelin than women.

But, my gut reaction to the statement that is “I don’t think so.”

I think testosterone was the first hormone out of the gate that demonstrated neuroprotective potential in men with MS. The Phase I testosterone trial improved cognitive functioning; decreased brain atrophy and increased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in men with MS.

Two Phase I clinical trials of DHEA (another “male” hormone) were successful (trial participants included men and women).

Suffice it to say I think there’s evidence that typically male hormones (testosterone and DHEA) may potentially provide neuroprotection and/or help people manage MS and they are getting some attention.

Testosterone itself is gaining recognition for its neuroprotective properties.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy for the Treatment of Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders .

Neuroprotective Role of Testosterone in the Nervous System (entire article available free)

And, I think we may be reading more about all hormones now that the presence of neurodegeneration in people with MS has been recognized as has an association with age and level of disability. DHEA, estrogen, testosterone and progesterone all have seemingly potent and relevant neuroprotective properties and they all decline with age.

Just one reference to some of that, Neurosteroids as endogenous inhibitors of neuronal cell apoptosis in aging

And, for inquiring minds, a free article on neurosteroids.
Endogenous Neuroprotective Factors: Neurosteroids

Sorry for the ramble. I was just startled by your perspectives and those are just some of the things I’ve read related to “male” hormones and MS. I definitely don't think it's all just about female hormones helping to manage MS. Why women are diagnosed with MS much more frequently than men is still an unanswered question I think.

Sharon

Hi Sharon,

You're right, of course, testosterone and other "male" hormones are involved in neuroprotection and have been shown to have therapeutic benefit in MS, (like the testosterone cream). Perhaps it's just an impression I got that female hormones have more of an influence than male hormones with MS, partly because of the remission many pregnant mothers experience and partly because of the 2-1 ratio of female to male MS. Obviously we all have both types of hormone, so perhaps it's more to do with relative levels rather than absolute levels. I've never thought of myself as much of a man... I didn't even realise I HAD a "male" perspective!!

Bob -- I'm so sorry to crush your feelings, but it wasn't me who sent you the chocolates: I think you're getting me mixed up with Ian!

Dom.

I think Ian should have a new nickname like "The Chocolate Man", He likes to give out a lot of chocolate. Hopefully it is Dark Chocolate though, its better for you.

Brock