Monday, October 30, 2006
Atopy, Arthritis and Darkness
As I continue to revise PhotoperiodEffect.com I am folding in breaking science news that's consistent with the Photoperiod Hypothesis (here.)
I won't post every such news story here, there are too many, but I will probably do so from time to time.
The studies I've read suggest that atopy (asthma etc) and autoimmunity result when we cut short the period of darkness when much of the clean-up and maintenance of our cells, as well as self-identification takes place.
Specifically, very recent research (October, 2006) suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may result from one particular clean-up task not being properly performed by the immune system. The DNase II enzyme in macrophages (a garbage-collecting white cell) snips apart and thus digests waste DNA in the bloodstream from dead cells. Mice that are prevented from producing this enzyme, by deleting that gene “develop a chronic polyarthritis resembling human rheumatoid arthritis.” [17066036] [http://www.newscientist.com/]
The obvious conclusion (at least to me, to paraphrase Copernicus) is that those who already have arthritis ought to be smart enough to come in from the light.
If you're already in pain from an autoimmune disease, and you still want to burn the candle at both ends (of the day) preventing your normal daily immune cycles from operating, good luck to you.
Surely the sensible thing to do is to adopt a more normal night. (Instructions here).
I won't post every such news story here, there are too many, but I will probably do so from time to time.
The studies I've read suggest that atopy (asthma etc) and autoimmunity result when we cut short the period of darkness when much of the clean-up and maintenance of our cells, as well as self-identification takes place.
Specifically, very recent research (October, 2006) suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may result from one particular clean-up task not being properly performed by the immune system. The DNase II enzyme in macrophages (a garbage-collecting white cell) snips apart and thus digests waste DNA in the bloodstream from dead cells. Mice that are prevented from producing this enzyme, by deleting that gene “develop a chronic polyarthritis resembling human rheumatoid arthritis.” [17066036] [http://www.newscientist.com/]
The obvious conclusion (at least to me, to paraphrase Copernicus) is that those who already have arthritis ought to be smart enough to come in from the light.
If you're already in pain from an autoimmune disease, and you still want to burn the candle at both ends (of the day) preventing your normal daily immune cycles from operating, good luck to you.
Surely the sensible thing to do is to adopt a more normal night. (Instructions here).
