Posted on 04/16/2010 4:51:48 AM PDT by decimon
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Having initially tested mannose and found that it did not repair spinal cord nerve membranes, Cho decided to test a modified form of chitin, one of the most common sugars that is found in crustacean shells. Converting chitin into chitosan, Cho isolated a segment of guinea pig spinal cord, compressed a section, applied the modified chitin and then added a fluorescent dye that could only enter the cells through damaged membranes. If the chitosan repaired the crushed membranes then the spinal cord tissue would be unstained, but if the chitosan had failed, the spinal cord neurons would be flooded with the fluorescent dye. Viewing a section of the spinal cord under the microscope, Cho was amazed to see that the spinal cord was completely dark. None of the dye had entered the nerve cells. Chitosan had repaired the damaged cell membranes.
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But could chitosan restore the spinal cord's ability to transmit electrical signals to the brain through a damaged region? Measuring the brain's response to nerve signals generated in a guinea pig's hind leg, the duo saw that the signals were unable to reach the brain through a damaged spinal cord. However, 30·min after injecting chitosan into the rodents, the signals miraculously returned to the animals' brains. Chitosan was able to repair the damaged spinal cord so that it could carry signals from the animal's body to its brain.
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(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
Nerving ping.
repairing spinal damage... hmph
Ah, at last Louisiana’s crawfish farmers will have something to do with the shells!!! Chitin is interesting stuff.
A far better use than serving James Carville gumbo.
Interesting.
bump for later
Big Bump & a regenerative medicine FReebie ping!
This is great news, but I have to compensate for chitosan’s tendency to constipate.
Magnesium
Oh, yes. Especially in the powder form called “Calm.” Almost forgot. Thanks.
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