by Martin L Pall
School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(5), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14050454
PDF : brainsci-14-00454
EXTRACTS:
Abstract
The roles of perinatal development, intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i, and synaptogenesis disruption are not novel in the autism/ASD literature. The focus on six mechanisms controlling synaptogenesis, each regulated by [Ca2+]i, and each aberrant in ASDs is novel. The model presented here predicts that autism epidemic causation involves central roles of both electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and chemicals. EMFs act via voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activation and [Ca2+]i elevation. A total of 15 autism-implicated chemical classes each act to produce [Ca2+]i elevation, 12 acting via NMDA receptor activation, and three acting via other mechanisms. The chronic nature of ASDs is explained via NO/ONOO(-) vicious cycle elevation and MeCP2 epigenetic dysfunction. Genetic causation often also involves [Ca2+]i elevation or other impacts on synaptogenesis. The literature examining each of these steps is systematically examined and found to be consistent with predictions. Approaches that may be sed for ASD prevention or treatment are discussed in connection with this special issue: The current situation and prospects for children with ASDs. Such approaches include EMF, chemical avoidance, and using nutrients and other agents to raise the levels of Nrf2. An enriched environment, vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3s in fish oil may also be helpful.
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7. Discussion and Conclusions
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Let us shift now to ASD treatment and prevention. These are presented here not to give medical advice, but rather to enlighten the reader in the central issues of this special issue: The current situation and prospects for children with ASDs. Both treatment and prevention require avoidance of electronically-generated EMFs and diverse chemicals, however difficult that may be. Let us start with EMFs. There are many sources of EMFs in our living spaces, workplaces, educational and recreational environments, and even outdoors. Many of these are discussed in Section 2.1.
There are “safety guidelines” initially proposed by ICNIRP, an organization set up by the industry and these ICNIRP safety guidelines have been adopted, sometimes with minor modifications, over much of the world. The ICNIRP and similar “safety guidelines” are all based on thermal effects produced over either a 6 min or 30 min period. However, as discussed above, biological effects are caused by electric forces or time-varying magnetic forces produced by electronically-generated EMFs, and are unrelated to thermal effect “safety guidelines”. It follows that all assurances of safety based on these “safety guidelines” have no scientific merit.
Pregnant women should not use cell phones, cordless phones, should avoid Wi-Fi fields, and should use wired connections to the internet, avoid Bluetooth, should not spend time near smart meters, cell phone towers, avoid high voltage powerlines, etc. Pregnant women should avoid being in buildings with high dirty electricity in their electric powerlines. Such avoidance is very challenging. A second choice is to use shielding to protect the fetus and the young baby after birth.
You can get large shielded T-shirts to protect the fetus, wearing a regular cloth T-shirt underneath to minimize body contact. Such shielding materials have large numbers of metal (often silver) fibers. I believe that shielding mostly acts by disrupting the coherence of the EMFs, therefore greatly lowering any electric or magnetic forces. Shielding has been extensively studied in the scientific literature [271,272,273,274,275,276,277]. For example, ref. [271] states that “By using wireless technologies, we increase the influence of the electromagnetic field on the human body. The basic measures for the protection against electromagnetic radiation are: (1) shielding of the radiation source, (2) shielding of the workplace, (3) personal protective equipment, (4) reduction of radiation in the immediate vicinity of the radiation source”. [271] goes on to discuss the shielding effects of both fabrics containing tiny metal fibers and also brick walls.
You can buy shielding paint of two different types to protect yourself in your house and, if you live in an apartment, this may be the only way to protect yourself from your neighbors’ EMFs. Shielding paint can be either graphite (black) paint which can be painted over with other colors. Other more pleasant colored shielding paint can be purchased containing tiny metallic particles. You can also buy open shielding cloth to put over windows, making them into lace like curtains to lower EMF exposures coming through the windows. Similar approaches can be used after birth to protect the young baby. It is highly desirable to purchase a good EMF meter to provide information and prevent the worst exposures throughout the perinatal period.
The materials mentioned here, along with many others, can be obtained from LessEMF, an organization with which I have no commercial relationship—I have no conflict of interest here.
Magnesium supplements, vitamin D, and folates are reported to be helpful for both prevention and treatment. Raising Nrf2 was discussed as a very promising approach to ASD therapy and possibly prevention, because raising the levels of the Nrf2 transcription factor produces increases in very wide-ranging antioxidant enzymes, and also lowers NF-kappaB and inflammation, improves mitochondrial function, and also detoxifies the body of diverse carbon-containing toxicants and toxic metals. There is much evidence that raising Nrf2 is useful in ASD treatment in animal models, as well as in prevention or amelioration, when Nrf2 is raised in pregnant animal models. The use of therapeutic agents that raise Nrf2 during pregnancy must, of course, be used with great care. There is a large body of safety literature on using nutritional agents that raise Nrf2 during human pregnancies, agents that produce lowering defects in the fetus [278,279,280,281,282,283,284,285,286,287]. Ref. [285] may be especially relevant to ASD causation, because it shows that raising Nrf2 in the pregnant mother can prevent disease in the offspring. However, [278] expresses concern about raising Nrf2 to higher levels possibly producing problems during pregnancy via reductive stress. I have searched for additional literature on human or animal pregnancy and reductive stress and the only additional paper I have found is a paper on reductive stress producing lowered fetal attachment—a time period very distant from the perinatal period, which is thought to be central to ASD causation.
Agents that raise AMPK may be useful as well, although those agents that raise AMPK via lowered energy metabolism should be used with caution, especially if they are to be used during pregnancy.
Other approaches to treatment include all of the things mentioned above for prevention, but also using approaches such as putting the person with an ASD in an enriched environment, or using cognitive behavioral therapy, both of which are reported to produce clinical improvement in humans. The Hong et al., 2020 [133] study of in utero cell phone radiation exposure to induce a long-lasting, possibly ASD-like condition in rats. These same ASD aged rats were still suffering from learning disability, as well as lowered expression of three genes needed for proper synaptic structure, and aberrant synaptic properties in the rat hippocampus. Putting those aged rats in an environmentally-enriched living space allowed them to recover much learning ability, while improving synapse properties and increasing expression of the three genes involved in determining synaptic structure. The improvements in learning are associated with large improvements in synaptic structure and function. This may not be the only approach toward retraining and restructuring synapses in ASDs.
I have not said anything about avoiding chemical exposures. The best way to avoid the pesticides and glyphosate is to eat organic (in the US) or bio (in Europe) foods. Aluminum hydroxide or salts should not be eaten or injected. Aluminum in foods is often very poorly absorbed, although eating Al3+ ions with a citrate or other chelators can increase absorption by as much as 100-fold. Tea, which is fairly rich in aluminum, should not be drunk with lemon juice. Baking powder almost always has aluminum in it. The usually poor absorption of aluminum in foods means that comparing these with injected aluminum hydroxide or aluminum salts can be very misleading. Environmental exposures to PCBs and PFAS are difficult for most people to assess, although making sure people have a very good source of drinking water may be essential. Because raising Nrf2 increases detoxification of the body from both carbon-containing toxicants and toxic metals, agents that raise Nrf2 should always be considered when one is trying to minimize chemical causation of ASDs, or obtain therapeutic improvement of individuals with ASDs. People have become more aware of phthalate toxicity, allowing us to avoid some common phthalate sources. Mercury and mercurials should be avoided wherever possible.
This discussion of ASD treatment and prevention is not intended to be a complete discussion, but rather as a start, to initiate a wider discussion.
READ FULL PAPER HERE: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/5/454
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