Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome

06/14/12 - I found this article in one of my web searches, and wanted to share.  It's written by Dr. Michael Fox, former Vice President of the Humane Society, veterinarian, author (and whatever else is designated by all of those letters after his name!).

His perspective gives more credit to Dr. Plechner's theories.  The original article (plus references) appears here on his website:  http://drfoxvet.com/info/Endocrine-Immune-Disruption-Syndrome

Food for thought!


ENDOCRINE-IMMUNE DISRUPTION SYNDROME
by Michael W. Fox, B. Vet. Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.

Chemical compounds called endocrine disruptors may play a significant role in various chronic diseases in both companion and other animals and also humans. These diseases include allergies, chronic skin diseases, recurrent ear, urinary tract, and other infections, digestive system disorders such as chronic colitis, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease frequently associated with immune system impairment, and metabolic and hormonal disturbances expressed in a variety of symptoms from obesity to thyroid and other endocrine disorders especially of the pancreas and adrenal glands.

Veterinarian Dr. Alfred J. Plechner’s clinical findings that link elevated serum estrogen levels , thyroid dysfunction and impaired synthesis of cortisol with a variety of health problems in animals warrant careful consideration, and more detailed research and randomized clinical trials. His claimed benefits of very low doses of cortisone, often in combination with thyroid hormone replacement, may hold true for some patients suffering from what I term the Endocrine- Immune Disruption Syndrome (EIDS) . But long term cortisone treatment may aggravate the syndrome, especially in the absence of a holistic approach to improving the animal’s immune system and overall physical and psychological well being.

Adverse reactions to vaccinations, anti-flea and tick medications and other veterinary drugs, and hypersensitivity to various foods and dietary additives, may be consequential and contributory elements in what I interpret as a widespread and not yet well recognized Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome. I receive many letters from readers of my syndicated newspaper column Animal Doctor,concerning dogs and cats with the kinds of chronic, complex, multiple health problems that conventional veterinary treatments have at best only temporarily alleviated.

The primary cause of these hormonal imbalances and associated neuro- endocrine and immune system dysfunctions is most probably environmental in origin, specifically the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC’s) in animals’ food and water. Through bioaccumulation these compounds become concentrated in various internal organs of companion animals, in farmed animals raised for human consumption, including aquatic species, and also in wildlife and humans at the top of the food chain.. Since many EDC’s are lipophilic, they especially accumulate in animals’ fatty tissues, brains, mammary glands and milk.

While I would agree with Dr. Plechner that animals’ genetic background and stress are also contributing factors to an animal developing what I believe to be endocrine disrupting compound toxicosis, I do not accept his contention that "this disturbance appears to be largely genetic." On the contrary, certain breeds and lines of domestic animals, and domestic animals in general who develop often multiple symptoms of EIDS are like the proverbial canaries down in the coal mines, signaling environmental conditions also hazardous to humans.

An internet search and review of the existing literature and ongoing research in the field of environmental toxicology will reveal the ubiquitous presence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC’s) in the environment especially from industrial pollutants, (from power plants and municipal incinerators to paper mills and chemically dependent industrial agriculture), and from untreated and inadequately treated sewage water (some 850 billion gallons of which are dumped annual into US waters). EDC’s are also being identified in a host of household and medical products especially plastics, in clothing, floor materials, and lining of food cans, ( notably phthalates and Bisphenol A ) and in the food and water we share with our companion animals, and give to farmed animals.

New EDC’s are being identified, detected in human breast milk, infant umbilical cord blood, and in ’signal’ wildlife species, from alligators to Artic seals. Researchers with the US Geological Survey, (USGS) Contamination Biology Program have found that PCB treated fish have lower resting plasma cortical titers and disrupted stress responses, impaired immune responses and reduced disease resistance. PCBs disrupt glucocorticoid responsiveness of neuronal cells involved in the negative feedback regulation of circulating cortical levels. I link these and other research findings on EDC’s with Plechner’s findings of low serum cortical levels in his patients, exposed undoubtedly to a number of EDC’s that can have enhanced toxicity through synergism. But his contention that dysfunctional adrenal glands are the cause of elevated estrogen levels is questionable considering the high level of "background" estrogen mimicking EDCs in every animal’s environment. DDE for example is one EDC that is known to accumulate in the adrenal cortex and impair cortical production. Ironically the USGS has found human birth control estrogens in river waters.

EDC’s not only disrupt endocrine signaling systems (estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, glucocorticoid, retinoid etc) and immune system functions, they can also cause profound behavioral, neurological and developmental disturbances. They may play a role in obesity and in animals’ adverse reactions to vaccines, other biologics and pharmaceutical products.

With regard to the health and welfare of companion animals---and the education and consumer habits of their owner/care givers, calls for much more than the immediate drug-correctives suggested by Dr. Plechner that could have harmful long-term consequences without adequate and reliable blood serum monitoring of thyroid, adrenal, and immune system (immunoglbulins) function.

There is an urgent need for the veterinary profession to address this Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome, and to consider it when treating a variety of chronic diseases in animal patients. For a start, all veterinary practitioners should encourage animal care givers to provide sick, (and healthy animals as part of holistic health maintenance) with pure water, organically certified food, including diets with animal fat and protein derived from young animals fed and raised organically, not exposed to herbicides, insecticides and other agricultural chemicals, and veterinary pesticides and other drugs. ( Even synthetic pyrethrins are powerful endocrine disruptors). Sea foods in the diets especially of cats, should preclude species high on the food chain like tuna and salmon. Also livestock that is organically certified should not be fed fish meal because of the bioaccumulation of EDC’s. Many commercial dog and cat foods are high in soy/soya bean/ vegetable protein. Since soy products are high in plant estrogens, (those from genetically engineered soy being potentially extremely problematic in this matter), it would be advisable to take all animals suspected of suffering from EIDS off all foods containing phytoestrogen laden plant proteins, and for healthy cats not to be fed any diet that relies on soy as the main source of protein. Healthy dogs, who are more omnivorous than cats (who are obligate carnivores) may not be at such risk.

The use of so called xenobiotic detoxification enzyme and other therapeutic nutrient supplement treatment, as detailed by Dr. Sherry A. Rogers and Dr. Roger V. Kendall, is worth consideration for chronically ill animals that may have EIDS. These include essential fatty acids, as in flax seed oil, digestive enzymes (e.g. papain and bromeliad) and vitamins A, B complex, C and E, alpha-lipoic acid, L-carnitine, L-glutamine, taurine, glutathione, dimethylglycine, CoQ10, bioflavinoids, selenium, copper, magnesium and zinc (with caution as per breed susceptibility to toxicity).
Homeopathic practitioners use Nux vomica and Sulfur to help detoxify a patient.

Detoxification can also include a bland, whole food, natural diet for 3-5 days (individual food-hypersensitivity being considered), including steamed carrots, sweet potato and other vegetables, cooked barley or rolled oats, and a little organic chicken or egg, plus a sprinkling of kelp (powdered seaweed), alfalfa or wheat grass sprouts, and milk thistle. A 3-4 day course of treatment with psyllium husks, activated charcoal and aloe vera liquid extract can also help cleanse and heal the digestive system. For cats, the amount of animal protein should be at least two-thirds of the diet, while one-third is sufficient for dogs. After this cleansing diet, a whole food , home-prepared balanced diet is advisable. In some cases, fasting for 24 hours may also be beneficial prior to giving the detox. diet, but caution is called for since this could put some cats at risk.

The use of lawn and garden pesticides and other household chemicals, especially petroleum-based products, that could be endocrine disruptors should be avoided, and also plastic and water food containers for all family members, human and non-human. New carpets, plastic chew-toys and stain-resistant fabrics and upholstery may also be potential hazards

The medical and veterinary evidence of an emerging EIDS epidemic is arguably being suppressed for politico-economic reasons, as witness the US government’s foot-dragging from one administration after another to take effective action to phase out hazardous agricultural chemicals and industrial pollution to protect consumers from dioxins, PCB’s and PBB’s---all potent EDC’s. These compounds in particular, contaminate, through bioaccumulation, foods of animal origin, the discarded and condemned parts of which are recycled into pet foods and livestock feed.

Postscript:
Recent research into the epigenetics of disease has shown for example, that the offspring of rats exposed during pregnancy to pesticides were more prone to breast and prostate cancer, immune system dysfunction and other health problems. These rat offspring, even when fed a diet free of such agrichemicals, passed these health problems on to their offspring, and thus on to subsequent generations. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, especially phthalates in the plastic of food and beverage containers and liners, play a major role in epigenetic diseases.

Hyperestrogenism

05/29/12 - All is good on Reo's end, no major changes, except I rotated out her Addiction food and rotated in Stella and Chewy's raw freeze-dried patties (Duck Duck Goose).  She loves the change!

I wanted to share an article from Healthy Pet Network, written by Dr. P, as it might be of interest to anyone following SARDS as it relates to adrenal exhaustion/Plechner's syndrome.

Original Article Here

Hyperestrogenism by Dr. Plechner, DVM

Published May 29, 2012 | By Terry

An article from the University of Tennessee signals that my esteem fellow professionals are finally beginning to understand what this old Vet’s been saying for many years now. They are beginning to realize the dangers of excessive adrenal estrogen. They are close, but alas…no cigar.

It seems they are attempting to reduce the production of adrenal estrogen by using various chemicals to affect it’s source, the adrenal gland. This approach at least shows someone’s been listening to some of what this Animal Doctor’s been saying for quite some time.

However, They still are off track. They keep trying to affect the middle layer of the adrenal cortex but they’re barking up the wrong layer. They need to be studying the inner layer. That’s where the problem lies. Even so, when they finally get there they’re going to find that it’s not going to be affected by their chemical assault.

I can understand their dilemma. The middle layer adrenal production of cortisol hormone appears quite normal in their eyes. The problem is that they need to understand that the cortisol being produced is defective and is not being recognized by the pituitary gland which keeps churning out the ACTH hormone which can cause an increase in the production of estrogen and androgen (which can be converted into estrogen) due to an enzyme in the fatty tissue called aromatase.

Since the elevated estrogen binds (blocks) the receiver sites of thyroid. The bound thyroid reduces the activity of the liver and kidneys which further guarantees less breakdown and elimination  of the estrogen and androgen. This allows the  estrogen and androgen to remain excessive. The patient, unavoidably, is also bound to gain weight, which at the same time produces more aromatase due to the increase of fatty tissue which inadvertently increases the amount of estrogen present…and so, round we go, in a vicious cycle.

It’s just our luck! The corporate medical industry is finally realizing what I’ve been trying to tell them for years. That excess estrogen can cause real problems. Still it seems that they haven’t listened to all of what this old Vet’s been saying (they must’ve dozed off in the middle of the lecture).

The capper is that certain hormones like cortisol can be defective or bound (unable to get to the right receptors) The decreased or defective cortisol and the increased estrogen throws the immune system out of balance.  When the immune system is imbalanced it may fall victim to a number of problems including;  Aids, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, coronary occlusion, all types of auto-immunity, and even cancer.

Now, I understand that I am but a healer of ‘animals’. However, I think we can all agree that all the beings on this planet are very similar on the inside. What’s good for the Goose…well, I think you understand. I just hope that those learned professionals at the University of Tennessee can rise above the status quo and maybe listen to alternative sources in their ‘quest for the cures’. They should at least heed Shakespeare…

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Yours in Health,

Dr Al Plechner

Blog share: SARDS and Pet Health, part 2

02/01/12 - February already!  Where does the time go??

Below is a follow up blog post, written by Michael Goldman of The Healthy Pet Network.  His dog Rex had SARDS, so this topic is near to his heart, as it is for all owners of dogs afflicted with SARDS.  I think every SARDS dog owner out there can relate to his story and frustration!

The original blog post appears here:  http://networkedblogs.com/toCwZ, which is worth a visit to watch the video, and see a picture of Rex.


This article comes from my heart and due to my experiences, is meant as a supplement to Dr Plechners article on SARDS. Please excuse any perceived ranting, as I do feel very strongly about the subject matter and please understand, my intent is to help by providing information that you may find of value.


Several years ago, my little buddy Rex, who was like a son to me, developed a very catastrophic disease called SARDS ( Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) and became blind. This had a number of implications for the Goldman family, not only for Rex but for all of us. Being an animal lover and caregiver, I never realized just how naïve I was when it came to animal health. We did not know what to do, scrambling around in a daze. The only thing I had going that helped tremendously was my determination and insistence for answers.


Have you ever had a veterinarian or doctor for that matter, tell you they don’t know, they don’t have any answers? Call me thick headed, thick skinned or whatever but this is unacceptable to me. This is their job. My animals are dependent on them for answers. You may think I am hard headed but that’s me. Now what did this have to do with my little guy Rex?


We noticed that Rex seemed to be losing his eye sight, bumping in to things, lack of depth perception etc. When we took him to our Vet who by the way, is highly regarded in the veterinary community, He didn’t have a clue. He decided to do exploratory surgery on Rex ruining one eye and causing a cataract. When he was pretty much blind, he finally recommended an ophthalmologist, closest one being 300 miles away. I pushed for an immediate appointment. I will never forget the day I took him to the specialist. He had just become completely blind and was scared to death. He did not know what the heck was going on. I felt and probably was pretty much worthless. He was diagnosed with SARDS, thus starting our journey to knowledge. Problem being, this enlightenment came at the expense of my little Rex.


Our Vet had heard of SARDS but didn’t know enough to send him to a specialist. The Specialist certainly knew about SARDS but said there was nothing that could be done and that was it. Me being me, I refused to accept this and sought answers. I came across several very knowledgeable, helpful people, in the subject matter, one being “How I met Dr Alfred J Plechner”


Now please bear with me for a moment as I am going to get on my soap box. I came to learn there is a defined cause, and a treatment that can provide a solution to many catastrophic diseases. Problem is, most Veterinarians are content to treat the symptoms or effects. Very few, look to the causes BEFORE they become effects. I am sad to say that I have found many Veterinarians, think they know everything. Instead of saying, I have things to learn and will move forward trying to find ways to better help my patients, many take the attitude that nothing can be done. They will say, “I have learned there IS NO ANSWER, NO SOLUTION”. They think and they say “Anybody with an idea, who has had success, is crazy and must be a quack.”


It’s important to note that every revolutionary scientific discovery has gone through the 3 phases of truth.


1) Disbelief


2) Ridicule


3) Truth becomes self evident


I am sorry to say, that I have no respect for these people, and have found that many of them are in the profession strictly to heal there wallet. On the other hand, I have the utmost respect for a doctor or person who says, I don’t have the answer, but I will look for one or I am open to ideas or suggestions and especially one who’s FIRST priority is the health of their patient and not there wallet.


OK OK, I will get off my high horse but there was a purpose to my tirade, If you haven’t already you may in the future have an extremely ill pet and more than likely you will encounter the above, unacceptable attitude. Know it but don’t accept it. I am making an assumption that your pet is a family member and incompetence won’t do. You want answers and hopefully solutions and rightly so. If your primary physician does not offer you anything, find someone who will because there is good news, There Are some very knowledgeable, caring medical professionals who can help.


Now, several years later, I have learned much. I am committed to helping animals in any way I can and providing the knowledge one can use to have healthy long lived pets. I will always be learning but I am committed to animal health.


We are caretakers for a number of pets—dogs and cats. I have Rex’s mother and (2) remaining siblings. Through my desire to learn and with the help of globally renowned Dr Alfred Plechner, we discovered his mother and siblings had a hormonal imbalance that predisposed them to certain catastrophic diseases. The have been diagnosed, put on a protocol and are doing VERY well today. Before Rex came down with his problem, his sister Millie was near death from an auto immune problem. She had numerous blood transfusions and the doctor said she probably would not make it. Since being on the protocol, she has never again had the problem and acts like a young school girl again.


So what do I have to offer when it comes to SARDS. My main points are these


To know what to look for so you will be a step ahead of the game
To know what to expect when bringing your pet to the vet
You love your pet—don’t be afraid to not only expect proper treatment but also be decisive and persistent in expecting action.
A couple of facts for a better understanding.
And a couple of resources if needed.
First AND FOREMOST, it important to know that SARDS is Extremely time sensitive. By the time you notice your pet is blind, it’s probably too late. On the other hand, if you notice them starting to lose their eyesight, there is still hope. The problem being, all this can happen in a couple of weeks—sometimes less and sometimes more. Time is of the essence when it comes to SARDS so if you remotely suspect, have your pet checked before it is too late. If you notice your pet being lethargic, out of sync and seeming to lose their eye sight whether stumbling, losing depth perception, anything that gives you this feeling, Have them checked immediately.


I should note that when I say too late, I mean in retaining their eyesight. Even when sight is lost, proper treatment can restore a high quality of life.


When seeing your health care professional, be sure to mention you are worried about SARDS. They may not understand the disease or have any solutions for you but they have probably heard of it. If they even remotely seem lost, DEMAND an immediate referral to a specialist. Remember you have weeks, maybe days so be decisive in your actions.


You can always feel free to contact me at the Healthy Pet Network and I can quickly and easily put you in touch with Dr Plechner. There is also a support group out there with similar experiences, that I can direct you to and one more very valuable reference


A lady in Oregon, Caroline Levin is extremely knowledgeable about the subject and has worked with many dogs with many successes. She is an RN. She knows her stuff but she is bad mouthed by many a vet since she is only an RN. Hog wash. She is a valuable resource who knows MUCH more than I do and more than most vets, when it comes to SARDS. REMEMBER THE KEY IS TO ACT SWIFTLY AND DECISIVELY.


http://www.petcarebooks..com/research.htm


Rex passed away a few months ago, which is why I wrote this article now. He was an unsung hero, The catastrophe he went thru prompted me to learn more, MUCH more about animal health. It literally saved his siblings and several others in our family. And one of the most important things was that through this, I met Doctor Plechner, who I truly believe is one of the Great men of our time and a future Nobel Prize Winner, in medicine.


OH, The Healthy Pet Network would never have been if it wasn’t for Rex.


Thank You Doctor Plechner for Rex’s good quality of life in his last years.


Rex, we miss you greatly and will love you always.


The Goldman’s

Blog share: SARDS and Pet Health, part 1

01/31/12 - Below is a blog post I'm sharing from The Healthy Pet Network.  Original post appears here:  http://healthypetnetwork.net/?p=1857#more-1857, which is worth visiting to watch the embedded video of the black lab, Gator, who was diagnosed with SARDS.



SARDS – Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome, appears to be an auto-immune disease that leads to blindness. It stems from a hormonal antibody imbalance that allows a deregulated immune system to lose its protective functions, thus allowing the system to also lose recognition of its own tissue and turn against the body which causes tissue destruction.


This occurs, due to either a deficiency in cortisol, or the production of a defective cortisol. When this happens, excess sex hormones are produced by the inner layer of the adrenal cortex. I personally believe that the offending hormone is total estrogen. The other sex hormone called androgen, can be transformed into more estrogen, due to an enzyme in the fatty tissue called Aromatase. This has been documented in humans but not with animals. More studies are currently being done.


The excess in total estrogen not only binds the thyroid hormone but deregulates the immune system and compromises antibody production. This is how SARDS seems to occur. Anti-antibodies are thought to be produced against the retinal tissue causing blindness.


The shame of this is, by the time the loss of sight in the pet is noticed by the owner, subsequent identification and treatment, generally cannot correct the permanent retinal damage, but there is certainly hope in stopping further auto-immune diseases from occurring, including cancer.


Michigan State and Cornell Schools of Veterinary Medicine are looking into this disease. It is also an important subject if interest for the Healthy Pet Network.


Finally, they are exploring its connection to the syndrome that I discovered 35 years ago. I call it Atypical Cortisol Imbalance Syndrome ( ACIS ), but people still refer to it, as Plechner’s syndrome.


I have been in practice for almost 50 years, trying to find a better way to help my patients. My hope is that academia with all the knowledge and tools and grants available to them, will consider my syndrome and really define it in a much more scientific manner.


After 35 years, it just might be happening. Please tell me why it has taken so long to help a patient?


Yours in Health,


Dr. AL Plechner




**My note - my personal feeling (based only on my research and opinion, as I mentioned here http://sardsdog.blogspot.com/2011/08/sards-resources.html) is that SARDS is not an auto-immune disease as stated in the top paragraph of the blog post above.  There have been two studies published in 2006 that showed that anti-retinal autoantibodies were not present in SARDS canines (one referenced here:) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16634935

Clearly further research must be done to definitively prove this, but I believe IMR is an autoimmune disease, while SARDS is not.  The line of thought to which I subscribe is Caroline Levin's stance that low cortisol and increased total estrogen leads cells (including retinal cells) to uptake too much calcium and cause cytotoxicity by destroying the mitochondria within cells.  This leads to a sort of  retinal "seizure", which prevents the retina from getting signals through to the brain.  Caroline explains this much more eloquently than I do here:  http://www.petcarebooks.com/SARDS/FAQs.htm#15

This excess retinal calcium is addressed by Levin's SARDS protocol by supplementing magnesium and adenosine (magnesium is an antagonist of calcium...which means magnesium helps to block the action of calcium in cells).

In hindsight - SARDs stressors

Thinking back over the months leading up to Reo's SARDS diagnosis, there were may signs that gave us clues about what was going on in Reo's body.  Unfortunately, we didn't pick up on those clues until later when we could piece them all together.


early 12/10:  I was gone on a trip for 10 days (me gone = doggie stress, even though Sean is home)
12/10:  Reo's annual wellness exam with Dr. N.  She got her leptospirosis vaccine, and was diagnosed with an ear infection.  Culture revealed it was bacterial - Baytril was prescribed.
12/17/10:  We added a new dog, Tula the Doberman, to our household (new dog = STRESS!)


late 12/10:  Noticed some behavior we attributed to Reo "acting out" - inappropriate urination in the house, general disobedience, lethargy, reluctance to go on walks/dog park (this we attributed to Reo's hatred of cold weather).


01/25/11 - Ear recheck showed the bacteria was gone, but it was now a fungal infection (treated with oral Ketaconazole - I learned later that this medication can suppress hormone production!)
02/03/11 - Ear recheck showed the fungus was gone, now back to bacterial.  Dr. N was a little puzzled at the ferocity of this ear infection
02/14/11 - Reo got her bordatella vaccination
late 02/11 - Reo fell out of bed twice (this has never happened previously!)
late 02/11 - noticed Reo was very restless at night; panting every night, wanted to get up for water (I attributed this to the fact that I'm a hot sleeper)
late 02/11 - Reo began getting into the cat food (naughty!), and seemed to bloat up with weight.  She lost her waist. 


early 03/11 - I was out of town, and Sean reported that Reo was bumping into things (very strange).  I came home March 4th, and noticed this myself.  Reo was indeed bumping into things, and was reluctant to climb stairs, etc.  I made a vet appointment with Dr. N right away for the next day - we were very worried at this point!


What I believe to be the key stressors for Reo:  change in schedule/routine, environmental stressors (new dog,  maybe cold weather), two vaccinations close together.


Again in hindsight, Caroline Levin thinks that Reo's ear infection was her expression of the hormonal imbalances.  Some dogs will have allergies, rashes, skin infections, etc.  For Reo, it was a nasty ear infection.


Key symptoms:  inappropriate urination, lethargy, panting/heat intolerance, excessive thirst (polydypsia - PD), excessive hunger (polyphagia - PP), restlessness