Posted by Larry Hoover on May 4, 2006, at 7:31:19
In reply to changes in brain due to alcohol (Sci Am), posted by pseudoname on April 12, 2006, at 10:06:12
> The article is available free for now.
> • “Staying Sober: Better understanding of how alcohol alters brain chemistry reveals mechanisms for beating dependency” by Andreas Heinz. ‘Scientific American: Mind’ (April 2006)
> http://www.sciammind.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=000DE85A-5630-1429-898483414B7F0000Thanks for putting that article up. Now, I am amazed that taurine hadn't been part of this investigation. If one of the mechanisms by which chronic alcohol use "traps" the vulnerable brain is via glutamate binding at NMDA receptors, then why on Earth isn't taurine part of this assessment? There are dedicated taurine reuptake pumps all through the brain. I don't think they're there by accident.
Here's a very brief overview of taurine's effects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15757628&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsumThe anti-drinking medication acamprosate is a structural analog of taurine, and works by mimicry, IMHO. The cynic in me says that they couldn't patent taurine, so they looked around until they found an analog that worked and could be patented.
One of the effects of chronic alcohol consumption is loss of B-vitamins, through both decreased intake and increased loss/consumption. You've heard of them hanging a "banana bag" in the ER, to help alcoholics detox, if even for just one night. It's yellow because it's a B-vitamin solution. Taurine is synthesized from methionine via a highly B-dependent pathway, one that often stalls very early on at homocysteine. To get any substantial taurine, you've got many steps yet to go. Alcoholics tend to be chronically starved of taurine. Is it any wonder that a taurine-modulated pathway goes awry?
Taurine readily crosses the blood/brain barrier. It works in minutes. I'd love to hear from someone struggling with alcoholic dependency who would do some sort of experiment to test taurine against craving. When you've got a head full of the f*ckits, what does taurine do?
I have to ask myself, what is wrong with Western medical practise today? If it isn't a drug, it isn't even considered. What's up with that?
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:632118
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20060205/msgs/639870.html