Continuiation of my other thread about Heat shock proteins.

[shaolinbomber]

From the information I'm gathering now the Heat-shock proteins are supposed to be a protective response to acute body temperature rise or what the brain perceives to be upcoming damaging conditions.. The last research article I posted clearly stated that LSD and other excitotoxic chemicals, when introduced into humans, causes the reaction to take place and produces these little RNA "shields" to make sure important parts of our neurons aren't burnt out and killed off. I'm not sure if a semi-permanent to permanent alteration by these RNA proteins could cause a change in genetic coding of proteins from within the cell to adapt to the chaotic environment that LSD and similar drugs produce within the brain.

 

This article here:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6614/ explains all about the nature of this reaction in the brain and which genes produce it.

 

It would be interesting to know whether or not David or Dr. A have taken a look at this as a possbility for the cause of the disorder. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated as I'd like to discuss this further with someone else.

[VisualDude]

This would primarily pertain to getting HPPD or toxic damage in the first place.  Not so much about healing once you've got HPPD.  You can google info about alpha-crystallin with regards to cataracts (excellent model) or Parkinson's.

 

In principle, having plenty of heat-shock proteins, as well as all the housekeeping metabolic processes at optimum, gives greatest protection/healing.  Cellular damage comes down to oxidative-species and other such things. 

 

This explains the why the threshold of 'toxic' varies so much between individuals.  Genetics is one factor.  But ultimately it is OVERALL toxic load.  As long as your body can clean up/out damaging stuff and repair faster than accumulate damage, you will be fine (though you might feel poorly during heavy cleanups).  To illustrate: take alcohol, take Tylenol, but don't take them together (in USA there are 100-200 people annually who need liver transplants because of Tylenol, so Tolcapone ain't the only bad boy on the block)! 

 

As for genetic weaknesses, some can slow the ability to cleanup, thus leaving a person more vulnerable.

 

With the brain, symptoms often don't show until a lot of damage is done.  Where HPPD fits in (damage or not), it is hard to say, just that the load got too much.  As to cellular damage, synaptic changes (damage and/or plasticity), axonal damage, or gene silencing ... much remains unknown.

[onedayillsailagain]

Visual, with all due respect..
If these heat-shock proteins somehow contributed to long term genetic and/or cellular alterations and/or lowered ability to repair these, wouldn't it then be substantially contributing to a possible cure so as to mitigate these? What I mean is implementing substances that aid in the repair of DNA/RNA and cellular structures. My knowledge on this biological level is limited, but take for instance Resveratrol, that has shown to aid in the biogenesis of mitochondria in the visual cortex. Then again, the possibility of genetic and cellular alteration has been around for a while, correct?
If I'm not mistaken, many substances have shown to posses such qualities. If heat-shock proteins are able to reveal the (exact) mechanisms by which alterations have occurred at that level, then specific substances can be introduced to improve these, no?
In other words; indeed it might only pertain to getting HPPD in the first place, but at the same time indirectly allow for acquiring more specific knowledge to ultimately aid in applying more focal cures/treatments.
Anyways, still haven't gone through all this, so forgive me for any inconsistencies/nonsense in these thoughts.

[VisualDude]

Multi questions and answers ... but here is a start.

 

The more 'housecleaners' the better for health ... but housecleaners aren't remodelers or builders.  So there are limits.  If injury causing HPPD is merely the need of cleanup, then housecleaners is all you need.

 

RNA damage is quite easy and how viruses mutate readily.  DNA damage is more difficult because there are mechanism to auto repair.  If not repaired, then cell death is early ... or worse, cancer.  You may enjoy reading about BRCA genes which are used for DNA repair.

 

DNA damage and gene silencing are actually two different things.  For example, >90% of genes are for development from single cell to adult.  Once that job is done, the genes pertaining to that go 'silent' since there is no need for them.  Things besides maturation cause silencing.  Aging has silencing.  Stress and chemicals can silence.  Remember LSD is just another chemical.  We are massively complex chemical factories, so it stands to reason that chemicals can silence a gene.  There is also work using peptids to un-silence genes.

 

Obviously, the more we learn, the more options/direction for 'cures'.

 

To understand limitations, read up on cataracts.  Because of insufficient glutathione and thus lower performance of the heat-shock proteins alpha-crystallin, protein and sugars burn (glysation).  Exactly the same thing a frying an egg - the clear turns white.  Cataracts scatter light (obstruction) causing blur.  Also, they filter blue the most and look yellow-brown ... the color of burnt, 'cause the once-clear-proteins are burnt.  Housecleaners can't fix this ... the structures need to be replaced.  To date, there is no known method to repair this.  [ In my case, a doctor described my brain damage as "velcroed proteins" ... this pertains to how petroleum products can mess up the fibers that form the mylin sheathing ]

 

Obviously an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  But this need not dishearten HPPDers, even though it is sobering.  We have yet to know what is actually wrong.  To date, haven't read about results in dissecting us poor souls ...

 

Metabolic maintenance is a huge topic on its own.

[shaolinbomber]

I'm pretty sure this has atleast something todo with what causes it. It fits the bill for people who develop visuals who never have tried drugs in their entire life.

[VisualDude]

Perhaps a good example is gasoline.  Gas and many petro derivatives are neurotoxic.  We all smell it at gas stations and walking by some cars or small engines.  But what happens when you start 'huffing' it?  How about drinking a drop?  How about drinking a cup?

 

At some point a person is 'poisoned' with possible brain damage.  The more subtle part is how much damage does one get without knowing it?  How do you test that?

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1520019/pdf/envhper00383-0135.pdf -- "... The overview focuses on neurotoxic effects related to chronic low-level exposures. A few general conclusions and recommendations can be made based on the results of the studies to date. a) All the compounds reviewed are neuroactive and, as such, should be examined for their neurotoxicity. For most of the compounds, there is a substantial margin of safety between the current permissible exposure levels and levels that would be expected to cause overt signs of neurotoxicity in humans. This is not the case for xylene, toluene, and methanol, however, where neurologic effects are observed at or below the current Threshold Limit Value. c) For most of the compounds, the relationship between chronic low-level exposure and subtle neurotoxic effects has not been studied. Studies therefore should focus on examining the dose-response relationship between chronic low-level exposure and subtle changes in central nervous system function."

 

Of course, who is going to fund such studies?  Exxon/Mobil?  BP?  Shell?  Or the governments of industrialized countries (the only ones with money)?  Are people going to give up cars until clean alternative transportation becomes available?