The importance of glutamate in the neuro-endocrinological functions in multiple sclerosis, related to fatigue

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease, which still today affects the Northern-hemisphere population, generating a socioeconomically burden. One of the most unfavorable symptoms in this chronic disorder is fatigue. In this review, we favor and sustain a main alteration of the hypothalamus-pituitary-axis complex and its physiopathologic consequences, mostly related to glutamate and corticoid levels. We try to sustain our hypothesis in what is already reported, corroborating that the inflammatory cells release mainly glutamate, a neuro-toxic substance which leads to a demyelinating effect and as a main result fatigue as a symptom. When this hypothesis is demonstrated, we could trace therapeutic targets to stop the release of glutamate of these immunologic cells, in order to avoid fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients.