MS is a demyelinating disorder of the CNS (these axons unlike in the PNS cannot regenerate themselves) Treatment of MS does not invlove ridding the patient of the disease. Medical limitations allow only to alleviate the symptoms in hopes of the patient leading as normal a life as possible. Because of this, many people suffering with MS are open to trying alternative therapy, one includes bee sting venom. Bee sting venom contains anti inflammatory substances. Esentially, disease progression is characterized by an abnormal immune response in the central nervous system.
In relapse-remitting MS (85-90% of all cases) and secondary progressive MS. It showed no delay in disease progression and no improvement in bettering the quality of life.
Knowing how MS affects patients, it would be wise to experiment with different methods to somehow insert Na+ channels in areas of axons that have been demyelinated. Only then will action potentials propagate.
By stopping inflammation, I don't see how this would better the patient, they would remain diabled. What do you guys thinks???
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Reading about MS and demylenation made me curious about myelin and how to prevent or slow down the process of demylenation. Anyways, after looking around the net for a bit, it turns out that heatlhy sleeping habits help in memory retention in that it is "able to boost your brain's cholesterol synthesis." And as we all know, a component of the myelin sheath is cholesterol.
http://www.cholesterolmanagementhub.com/cholesterol/function/
You make some good points here. I think another consideration that applies here is anaphylaxis. There are a great deal of people who are allergic to bee stings and many of them are not aware of the allergy. A first reaction to this home remedy could be deadly.
The bee sting therapy appears to be temporary relief to inflammation caused by the demyelination. Anyone who implements this type of therapy should have an epi shot in hand, in case there are allergic reactions.
The proposal to insert Na+ channels would be sound if there was a way that the myelin could repair itself. The Na+ channels would generate action potentials, but if there is damaged myelin, the action potential would not conduct at an efficient, steady rate, as needed for normal function.
In response to vand495, the purpose of having continuous sodium channels throughout the demyelinated axons would be to allow an alternative route for action potential propagation. It would serve as a really big node of Ranvier which is how action potentials are asissted in their propagation through normally myelinated axons.
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