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Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and interstitial lung disease
Ravi Kumar Kurup1, Parameswara Achutha Kurup
1Department of Neurology, Medical College Hospital, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
The International Journal of Neuroscience
|October 10, 2003
Summary
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is linked to isoprenoid pathway dysfunction, with altered metabolites like digoxin and ubiquinone. This dysfunction may reflect altered brain function in right-hemispheric dominant individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
- Pulmonology
Background:
- The isoprenoid pathway is crucial for producing essential metabolites: endogenous digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone.
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease with complex pathogenesis.
- Hemispheric dominance is increasingly recognized for its role in various physiological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
- To assess the function of the isoprenoid pathway and related biochemical markers in IPF patients and individuals with varying hemispheric dominance.
Main Methods:
- Assessed isoprenoid metabolites (digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone) in IPF patients and controls.
- Evaluated RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium, and tyrosine/tryptophan catabolic patterns.
- Analyzed free radical metabolism, glycoconjugate metabolism, and RBC membrane composition using dichotic listening tests for hemispheric dominance.
Main Results:
- IPF patients exhibited elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels, and reduced ubiquinone and elevated free radicals.
- Biochemical patterns in IPF resembled those in left-handed/right-hemispheric dominant individuals, though IPF patients were right-handed/left-hemispheric dominant.
- A higher cholesterol to phospholipid ratio and reduced RBC membrane glycoconjugate levels were observed in IPF patients.
Conclusions:
- Dysfunction in the isoprenoid pathway significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- The observed biochemical alterations in IPF suggest a link to altered brain function, particularly in right-hemispheric dominant individuals.
- Hemispheric chemical dominance appears independent of handedness or dichotic listening test results but is associated with interstitial lung disease occurrence.