Quinolinic acid is a neurotoxic substance produced by our own bodies. High levels may be the cause of the foggy headed, forgetful, depressive 'lyme brain' some lyme patients complain of. high levels are associated with mental illness, ALS, alzheimers, depression etc.
according to wikipedia
"Quinolinic acid has a potent neurotoxic effect. Studies have demonstrated that quinolinic acid may be involved in many psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative processes in the brain, as well as other disorders.
Quinolinic acid is an excitotoxin in the CNS. It reaches pathological levels in response to inflammation in the brain, which activates resident microglia and macrophages. High levels of quinolinic acid can lead to hindered neuronal function or even apoptotic death.[10] Quinolinic acid produces its toxic effect through several mechanisms, primarily as its function as an NMDA receptor agonist, which triggers a chain of deleterious effects, but also through lipid peroxidation, and cytoskeletal destabilization.[10]
The gliotoxic effects of quinolinic acid further amplify the inflammatory response. Quinolinic acid affects neurons located mainly in the hippocampus, striatum, and neocortex"
this study showed that Q acid was dramatically raised in lyme patients.
http://www.neurology.org/content/42/1/43.short
Somebody said...
Samples were obtained from 16 patients with CNS Borrelia burgdorferi infection, eight patients with Lyme encephalopathy (confusion without intra-CNS inflammation), and 45 controls. CSF QUIN was substantially elevated in patients with CNS Lyme and correlated strongly with CSF leukocytosis. In patients with encephalopathy, serum QUIN was elevated with corresponding increments in CSF QUIN. Lymphokine concentrations were not consistently elevated. We conclude that CSF QUIN is significantly elevated in B burgdorferi infection—dramatically in patients with CNS inflammation, less in encephalopathy.
so its likely lyme patients have very high levels of this potent neurotoxin.
luckily there are way to normalize Q acid levels.
cont next post
Post Edited (Lapis_29) : 10/24/2017 10:22:20 AM (GMT-6)