Autism caused by stomach bacteria??

Post Reply New Topic

Saying endospore would have helped.

I know that anthrax does that--learned that when I was a kid; it's why anthrax was so hard to develop a vaccine for, because they had to heat it really carefully to weaken it without causing it to just go dormant--but I'm pretty sure the endospore strategy isn't all that common among bacteria. Most of 'em just mutate fast enough to fit into environments where they can survive, or team up with some other creature to form a symbiosis. Endospores are only good for surviving really hostile environments where you can't get any nutrition, and waiting until something comes along that's good to eat. Bacteria that live in human beings have constant nutrition--it wouldn't make any sense for them to develop that kind of a defense. They'd just get thrown out of the body along with the rest of the digested food, because spores haven't got any way of moving on their own, nor can they reproduce the way the bacteria that live inside us can. The only reason a bacterium would need that, is if it's the sort of bug that lies dormant for a long time, infects quickly and spreads, and then goes dormant again. That's stuff like tetanus and anthrax and generally things that live in hostile environments or environments that change quickly; not the kind of bacterium you find in the human digestive tract.

New user, currently studying links between gut flora(bacteria) and carbohydrate malabsorbtion along with celiac disease and other intestinal disorders, i have run across studies linking autism with gastrointestinal disorders and bacteria.

About 70% of children with autism have gastrointestinal problems throughout their lives, including frequent abdominal pain, constipation and vomiting, compared with 28% of typically developing children, according to a 2006 study. Source: (Valicenti-McDermott M. et al. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 27, S128-36 (2006)
A newer study, published 31 January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that these microbial residents may direct brain development, ultimately shaping behavior. Source:(Diaz Heijtz R. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Epub ahead of print (2011)
In 2005, Anne McCartney, a microbiologist and senior research fellow at the University of Reading in the U.K., found that children with autism have higher-than-normal concentrations of Clostridium bacteria, a microbial group that can produce neurotoxins. Other researchers have reported similar findings SOURCE: (Parracho H.M. et al. J. Med. Microbiol. 54, 987-991 (2005)
In the new study, researchers set out to determine whether gut microbes can shape brain development. They examined two sets of mice: one group has a normal stew of the microbes, whereas the other has squeaky-clean guts devoid of bacteria.
Comparing the behavior of these two groups, the researchers found that the bacteria-free rodents are more hyperactive and more likely to take risks than those with microbes. The sterile mice also show abnormalities in the expression of dozens of genes and in the way they process several neurotransmitters — including noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin.
To investigate whether gut microbes are responsible for these differences, the scientists exposed bacteria-free pups to a full complement of microbes taken from the normal mice. The sterile mice no longer grew into hyperactive and risk-taking adults. In fact, they acted just like the mice born with normal gut bacteria.
Though Pettersson and his colleagues weren't looking specifically at autism, the study provides compelling evidence that the microbes in our bellies can influence behavior, perhaps by guiding brain development.
The next step for researchers is to unravel the mechanism underlying this gut-behavior link.
One possibility is that microbes influence brain development by altering the level of hormones circulating in the bloodstream. Alternately, gut bacteria might be communicating with the brain through the vagus nerve, which runs from the head all the way down to the abdomen.
MacFabe is investigating whether gut microbes can influence the brain in ways that explain the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. He is using rats to study fatty acids produced by the microbes that live in the gut, focusing particularly on propionic acid, which is produced by Clostridia, the bacteria that seem to be present at higher levels in children with autism.
When MacFabe and his colleagues injected propionic acid directly into the brains of rats, they became hyperactive, began engaging in repetitive behaviors and lost interest in social interactions Source:(Shultz S.R. et al. Neuropharmacology 54, 901-11 (2008)
Subsequent studies have reinforced these findings. In young and adult rats alike, propionic acid seems to cause repetitive and antisocial behaviors, cognitive impairments and patterns of brain inflammation that resemble those seen in children with autism Source:(MacFabe D.F. et al. Am. J. Biochem. Biotechnol. 4, 146-166 (2008) & (Shultz S.R. et al. Behav. Brain Res. 200, 33-41 (2009) & (MacFabe D.F et al. Behav. Brain Res. 217, 47-54 (2011)


To understand these studies you need a general understanding of gut flora.
The gastrointestinal tract of a normal fetus is sterile. During birth and rapidly thereafter, bacteria from the mother and the surrounding environment colonize the infant's gut. Immediately after vaginal delivery, babies may have bacterial strains derived from the mothers' feces in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Infants born by caesarean section may also be exposed to their mothers' microflora, but the initial exposure is most likely to be from the surrounding environment such as the air, other infants, and the nursing staff, which serve as vectors for transfer. The primary gut flora in infants born by caesarean delivery may be disturbed for up to six months after birth, whereas vaginally born infants take up to one month for their intestinal microflora to be well established.[citation needed] After birth, environmental, oral and cutaneous bacteria are readily transferred from the mother to the infant through suckling, kissing, and caressing. All infants are initially colonized by large numbers of E. coli and streptococci. Within a few days, bacterial numbers reach 108 to 1010 per gram of feces. During the first week of life, these bacteria create a reducing environment favorable for the subsequent bacterial succession of strict anaerobic species mainly belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Ruminococcus.[18] Breast-fed babies become dominated by bifidobacteria, possibly due to the contents of bifidobacterial growth factors in breast milk. In contrast, the microbiota of formula-fed infants is more diverse, with high numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, bifidobacteria, Bacteroides, and clostridia. By the second year of life, the fecal microflora resemble that of adults.

Clostridium is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the Firmicutes. They are obligate anaerobes capable of producing endospores.(for those wondering about spores)

What i found interesting there is a disease called Enterotoxemia, which is an infection by Clostridium perfringens which affects several types of domesticated animals, but is not known to affect humans. Enterotoxemia occurs when ruminants ingest excessive amounts of high carbohydrate feed, specifically grain. Deer and elk that rapidly change to a high grain diet increase their starch and carbohydrate intake, providing a medium for the causative organism Clostridium perfringens.

This is where my study comes in for Carbohydrate Malabsorbtion which is linked to carbohydrates consumption.
People who suffer from this condition have problems tolerating certain carbohydrates after they consume them. This is generally due to an inability to break down the carbohydrates during the digestive process. This condition often leads to bowel problems that can range in severity.
Carbohydrates are humans’ fuel. The body breaks them down and feeds them into the bloodstream. This is how a person gets her energy. If she suffers from carbohydrate malabsorption, however, then this process does not work correctly. The carbohydrates remain undigested and continue passing through the intestinal tract.
Symptoms of this condition can include cramps, diarrhea, and gassiness. These symptoms are associated with the fact that the undigested carbohydrates eventually make their way to the colon. When this happens fluids are attracted and the unabsorbed material begins to ferment. This causes gases to be created that can make a person feel bloated.
It is believed that the malabsorption of certain carbohydrates, such as lactose and fructose, may be linked to depression. Evidence has shown the link in women. In men, however, carbohydrate malabsorption is not believed to have the same adverse mental health effects. It has also been found that children who suffer from this condition grow at a slower rate than their peers.

Bacterial overgrowth (had to remove link) in the small intestine destroys enzymes on the intestinal cell surface, which prevents carbohydrate digestion and absorption. The last stage of carbohydrate digestion takes place at the minute projections called microvilli. Complex carbohydrates that have been broken down by the enzymes embedded in the microvilli can be absorbed properly and enter the blood stream. But when the microvilli are damaged, the last stage of digestion cannot take place. At this point only monosaccharides can be absorbed because of their single molecule structure. In the small intestine, the body should absorb the nutrients needed from what is eaten. But in the case of malabsorption, the undigested carbohydrates left in the small intestine cause the body to draw water into the intestinal tract. This pushes the undigested carbohydrates into the colon where the microbes can feast on it. This allows for even more proliferation of the unwanted microbes and continued increase in malabsorption problems. Most intestinal microbes require carbohydrates for energy. A carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet limits the availability of carbohydrates. By depriving these microbes of their food source, they gradually decrease in number. As the number of microbes decreases so do the toxic by-products they create. That is why i bring up Enterotoxemia since it shows to promote Clostridium perfringens when coupled with high carbohydrate consumption.
That is why you have websites stating a carb free diet will help "cure" autism. There have been preliminary studies show some evidence that the ketogenic diet may be used in autistic behavior as an additional or alternative therapy. (HAD to remove link))While the studies are still in their infancy, 26.66% of the kids benefited significantly from the diet. Interestingly enough the premise of the study was to presumably improve mitochondrial efficiency in the brain via ketosis since another study did confirm that kids with autism often have problems with mitochondrial efficiency. Source: cant post links on first post

UCLA studies have shown that the connections between brain regions that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism than in non-autistic children. Source(Xue Hua, Paul M. Thompson, Alex D. Leow, Sarah K. Madsen, Rochelle Caplan, Jeffry R. Alger, Joseph O'Neill, Kishori Joshi, Susan L. Smalley, Arthur W. Toga and Jennifer G. Levitt. Brain growth rate abnormalities visualized in adolescents with autism Human Brain Mapping. Human Brain Mapping, 20 October 2011

Possible link? Maybe.

Differences in the brain CAN be caused by bacterial overgrowth. So please try to be a little more open minded before replying with "Nah" or calling it a "quack theory."

PS please forgive some errors that maybe present since its 3 am. I also had to remove some links because of limitations set by moderators.

I know this is WAY late, but here's another interesting tie between gut bacteria and neurological disorders that might just alleviate the skepticism. Not that skepticism should be alleviated for no reason, but I thought this was very relevant.

Open up google and look up "Parkinson and gut bacteria", you'll find a plethora of articles and related sources.

=) Enjoy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp55goEW82c[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6BL6QvKljo[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvdf5n-zI14[/youtube]

there are so many diffent ways people experince autism, some people have huge sucess with thing like GFCF some babise develope normaly then loose everythin, so never develope normaly to start Some seem Normal but when they get older thier "quarks" start to seem more like problems to NTs


I honestly believe that it is different in each case. I think Autism can have multiple causes and thats why no on can pin point one. I believe a lot of it is genetis but if a parent tells me they believe thier child's autism was caused by a vaccine I trust themm



mostly i wonder on those gain kills then they vanish like speech (not something that is easliy missed) if maybe it could be something else that is autism like but not autism in and of it's self but I m really torn on the matter

i believe my autismwas genetic really what matters to me is quality of living with autism and less about the theories of the cause because in the end I and many othhers live with this every day and we cant turn back time so we hjust need to focus on making the best out of the life we have and that is a matter of acceptance,, understanding, awareness and the proper services