I heard that this beta-blocker can decrease the chances of babesia jumping from one blood cell to the other.
Does anybody else have information on how propanol fights babesia?
Thanks
[ 16. September 2007, 10:39 AM: Message edited by: savebabe ]
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Wow....I never heard that. Where did you read it??
I've been taking atenolol ever since my first babesia herx because it affected my heart.
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Published online before print April 16, 2007, 10.1073/pnas.0607263104 PNAS | April 24, 2007 | vol. 104 | no. 17 | 7247-7252
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES / MICROBIOLOGY Borrelia burgdorferi intercepts host hormonal signals to regulate expression of outer surface protein A
Mark R. Scheckelhoff*, Sam R. Telford, Mary Wesley*, and Linden T. Hu*,
*Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tupper Research Institute, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111; and Division of Infectious Diseases, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Grafton, MA 01536
Edited by John J. Mekalanos, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and approved March 18, 2007 (received for review August 23, 2006)
The Borrelia burgdorferi infectious cycle requires that the organism adapt to vast differences in environmental conditions found in its tick and mammalian hosts.
Previous studies have shown that B. burgdorferi accomplishes this accomodation in part by regulating expression of its surface proteins. Outer surface protein A (OspA) is a borrelial protein important in colonization of the tick midgut.
OspA is up-regulated when the organism is in its tick host and down-regulated when it is in a mammalian host.
However, little is known about how it is up-regulated again in a mammalian host in preparation for entry into a feeding tick.
Here, we report that the host neuroendocrine stress hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine, are specifically bound by B. burgdorferi and result in increased expression of OspA.
This recognition is specific and blocked by competitive inhibitors of human adrenergic receptors.
To determine whether recognition of catecholamines, which are likely to be present at the site of a tick bite, may play a role in preparing the organism for reentry into a tick from a mammalian host, we administered a -adrenergic blocker, propranolol, to infected mice.
Propranolol significantly reduced uptake of B. burgdorferi by feeding ticks and decreased expression of OspA in B. burgdorferi recovered from ticks that fed on propranolol-treated mice.
Our studies suggest that B. burgdorferi may co-opt host neuroendocrine signals to inform the organism of local changes that predict the presence of its next host and allow it to prepare for transition to a new environment.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Amazing!
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
I heard something like this from Dr H's office.
Anybody else?
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
Oh here....I found a piece of the article my llmd gave me.
MALARIA AN OLD DRUG WITH A HIDDEN TALENT
Researchers at Northwestern University say that they have discovered a way to get around resistance to standard malaria treatment, one that won't reguire the development of an expensive new drug. Propranolol, a 40 year old medicine for high blood pressure, stope the parasites that cause malaria from hijacking the red blood cells they use to prolifereate.
A researcher team led by Dr. K decided that instead of attacking the parasite directly, they would block its entry into blood cells. Working with mice, they discovered that the beta-blocker propranolol caused red blood cells to reject the parasite. Left exposed, the parasites in propranolol-treated animals could be killed with on-tenth the amount of antimalarial medicine normally required.
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Wow..........there is hope!
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Really interesting: My MD gave me Propranolol for anxiety and I had a relatively rapid response to Babs treatment around the same time.
What a coincidence Posted by ElaineC (Member # 9857) on :
Savebabe,
Did Dr.H suggest it might be worth trying??
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
I believe he is putting his patients on it who have chronic babs.
Posted by Chia Pet (Member # 12399) on :
I was prescribed this for Babs about a month ago, but haven't started it yet with my Babs treatment. Thanks for posting the article regarding the research. I have been looking for a month now.
My LLMD prescribed it on the phone when I called for a Larium fix, and they said take the Propanolol instead. Didn't have a clue what it was until I went to the pharmacy to pick it up and found out it was a beta blocker. It is good to hear that someone has seen improvement.
I guess I will put on my big girl pants and try it.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
Here is another thought.... if propranolol protects the cells from becoming infected and it is safe to take during pregnancy, than this may stop children being born with babs.
Any thoughts?
Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :
What is the dose normally prescribed?
I happen to have Babs but also happen to be prescribed Propranolol for a "trigger-happy" autonomic nervous system. A cardiologist says I just happen to have an autonomic nervous system that overreacts to any stressful stimuli, even low stress stuff.
I love the way the Propranolol kind of evens me out. I still have some trouble with my BP shooting up for brief periods - I have a huge case of "white coat anxiety" and it is always high in the doc's office but always normal or low at home or in other situations, like in drug stores at their machines, etc. Low actually, and the doc clearly said that he cannot put me on too much as it would go too low. It is not unusual for me to find it 90/60 sometimes, then every so often while at the doc's office 160/100. Extremely weird.
But the kind I take is the Inderal LA (for long-acting) and this in fact just recently went generic. So it is Propranolol SA 160 mg.
Funny thing is the doc thinks my hyper-sensitive autonomic nervous system is from neurological damage from Lyme. Wonder if it is Babs instead? Who knows. All this is related to some extent.
Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :
Bringing this up. Can anyone confirm the dose of propranolol they are taking?
Is it the time-release type?
Just curious. Thanks.
Posted by ElaineC (Member # 9857) on :
LLMD has now suggested this to me - the dose is low, it's Inderal LA 60mgs daily.
I already tend towards low BP etc, did anyone find that the Inderal made this even worse?? Or at a low dose like this is it ok??
Will discuss it with him, but if any of you have experience would be good to hear.
Thanks Elaine
Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :
Well, then, I must be taking plenty since my does is already 160 mg Inderal LA.
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