Theses concepts, in abstract below, are relevant to disease prevention and management.
Globally they imply RESILIENCE of each of three barrier defenses or compartments; outer, intermediate and inner.
A breach or increased permeability of successive compartments promotes inflammation and weakening of each successive layer. (Increased CRP)
One can extend the organism, organ compartment fractal further into tissue, cell, cellular organelle and then to sub-sub compartments like the MAM or mitochondrial associated membrane with the endoplasmic reticulum or the nuclear membrane pore.
The integrity of each compartment depends on the integrity and bioenergetics of each "barrier membrane."
Disease management requires cell, tissue and organ survival first, then membrane leak repair, then recovery of bioenergetics.
A strategy of increased antioxidant enzyme capacity, immune response moderation and increased and improved mitochondrial energy production reverses and prevents disease and death while promoting RESILIENCE.
Oxidative stress is reduced by Nrf2 activators.
Immune stress is reduced by vagal activation and bicarbonate (Win Hof hyperventilating breathing technique) inactivation of the acetylcholine antagonist (acetylcholinesterase) via mesothelial cell stimulation.
One of the most potent transcriptional Nrf2 activators is butyrate and beta hydroxybutyrate, (a ketone produced by fasting and exercise.)
One of the most potent cellular (including brain) energy substrates under stress is lactate.
Both butyrate and lactate therefore potentially restore the"outer barrier" meaning the skin, mucous membrane and intestinal endothelial lining.
Both butyrate and lactate are produced in lactobacillus ruggeri homemade yogurt which leads to the following:
Thickening of barrier cells. Restoration of cell tight junctions and barrier function.
Reduced barrier cell layer inflammatory cells.
Increased collagen and reduced MMP the enzyme that destroys collagen and the tight junction proteins that function like mortar in a brick wall.
Increased oxytocin and stronger larger muscles.
Therefore, the supplements in that yogurt, restores the outer barrier compartment.
Butyrate is also absorbed and effects all other barrier and tissue cells to promote RESILIENCE.
A new model for chronic diseases
Chronic diseases are defined diseases whose symptoms last for at least six months and tend to worsen over time. In Europe, they cause at least 86% of deaths.
In this speculative unifying model I set a new hypothesis for the etiology of the majority of chronic diseases. The main aim is to put order and observe our organism in a systemic way, connecting pathologies we now see as disconnected phenomena, with the conceptual frameworks of complex systems and network medicine.
Chronic diseases could be caused by a first unsolved acute infection. In case the pathogen cannot be completely eliminated, it becomes a persistent infectious. After the acute episode, some mild symptoms will occur and probably disappear; the chronic disease will remain latent over time. It will manifest even after years or decades, in the presence of another acute infection, a particular stress, trauma, or another event. The presence of the persistent infectious elicits changes in the immune and systemic regulation, and these processes degenerate over time. They will assume their rules and patterns, being independent from the initial stimulus. The key to understand the dynamics and individuality of chronic diseases is the immune system and its networks. The immune mechanisms that can lead to the persistent response are mainly the switch from the Th1 to the Th2 immunity and the molecular mimicry.
The first persistent infectious will also modify the susceptibility to other pathogens, facilitating new infections and new consequent persistent infectious.
From the immune point of view, our organism is divided into three compartments: the outer one, which comprehend all the surfaces in contact with the environment, the intermediate one, which comprehend the internal organs and tissues, and the innermost one, comprehending the Central Nervous System and the adluminal compartment of the seminiferous tubule. The immune key-role is played respectively by the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, the endothelium, the blood–brain barrier and blood-testis barrier. The chronic diseases follow a progressive scheme, involving the three compartments from the outer to the innermost one.
The primer microorganism at the origin of the majority of diseases could be streptococcus, or staphylococcus. Both cause acute in children, with a great variability of responses and symptoms, and both cause molecular mimicry.
This model can be tested and proved in more ways, I propose here some of them.
It could pave the way to a radical change in our comprehension and therapeutic approaches to chronic diseases.
Joseph Thomas (Tony)
