A research report has revealed that environmental toxins could contribute towards causing multiple sclerosis in humans. The study was carried out by a team of researchers led by Rivi Shi, a medical practitioner and professor of biomedical engineering and neuroscience in Purdue University.

Multiple sclerosis is the pathological hardening or thickening of tissues in various part of the body. According to the research, the advent of this medical condition can be influenced by an environmental toxin known as acrolein. The toxin is a constituent part of air pollutants such as smoke from the exhaust pipes of automobiles and also smoke from tobacco products. Acrolein may also be formed in the body as a result of damaged nerve cells.

Typically, the nerve cells in humans have myelin insulation however in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis the myelin insulation is broken apart and the damage is done to the nerve fibers. The research team from Purdue University believes that the damage done to the myelin insulation is caused by the activities of acrolein. In addition, the toxin also induces the presence of free radicals in the system which further aggravates the already existing damages done to the tissues by disease or other trauma.

According to Rivi Shi, the study aims to uncover the lengths of damage the toxin can cause to the human central nervous system when traumatized or afflicted with a degenerative disease like sclerosis.

Lab mice used for the study were subject to a disease culture similar to multiple sclerosis, in order to raise the level of acrolein in their spinal tissue to a rate approaching 60 percent. Hydralazine, a medication approved by the FDA for treating hypertension was then subsequently administered to neutralize the acrolein toxin and halt for a while the progression of multiple sclerosis in the mice. The team has previous conducted a research that indicated that hydralazine was effective for preventing neuronal death.

The drug was able to reduce the increased level of acrolein in the mice by as much as 50 percent which also resulted in halting the progression of sclerosis in the mice. From this the researchers were able to conclusively decide that there was a connection between multiple sclerosis and acrolein.

According to the Rivi Shi, the dosage of the drug administered on the mice was significantly lower than the normal dosage standards required when giving oral hydralazine treatments to human patients. In addition, he said that apart from effectively neutralizing acrolein, there were also no side effects from administering the drug to the mice.

Rivi believes that the study will be helpful in developing new therapies for treating and managing multiple sclerosis in patients.

Further details on the research can be found on this link.