continued from last post..

Mitochondria are the main intracellular source of oxygen free radicals, which are very reactive and can harm cellular structures and DNA. Cells can repair typical levels of oxidative damage. However, in the children with autism the cells produced more free radicals and were less able to repair the damage, and as a result experienced more oxidative stress. The free radical levels in the blood cells of children with autism were 1 ½ times greater than those without the disorder.

The study was conducted using blood samples of children enrolled in the Childhood Risk of Autism and the Environment (CHARGE) Study and included 10 children with severe autism age 2 to 5 and 10 age-, race- and sex-matched children who were developing typically.

In an earlier study the research team found decreased mitochondrial fortitude in another type of immune cell, the lymphocytes. Together, the findings suggest that deficiencies in the cells’ ability to fuel brain neurons might lead to some of the cognitive impairments associated with autism. Higher levels of free radicals also might contribute to autism severity.

“The response found among granulocytes mirrors earlier results obtained with lymphocytes from children with severe autism, underscoring the cross-talk between energy metabolism and response to oxidative damage,” said Cecilia Giulivi, professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the study’s senior author.

“It also suggests that the immune response seems to be modulated by a nuclear factor named NRF2,” that controls antioxidant response to environmental factors and may hold clues to the gene-environment interaction in autism, Giulivi said.

Other study authors include Sarah Wong and Irva Hertz-Picciotto of UC Davis.

The study was funded by grants from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), and National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences grants ES011269, ES015359 and ES020392.

At the UC Davis MIND Institute, world-renowned scientists engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research to find the causes of and develop treatments and cures for autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fragile X syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders. For more information, visit mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu

Here is another piece of information:

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsr...

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Below is the post from that website (US Davis)in case the link disappears.

NEWS | May 8, 2014

Study confirms mitochondrial deficits in children with autism
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) —

Children with autism experience deficits in a type of immune cell that protects the body from infection. Called granulocytes, the cells exhibit one-third the capacity to fight infection and protect the body from invasion compared with the same cells in children who are developing normally.

Cecilia Giulivi Cecilia Giulivi

The cells, which circulate in the bloodstream, are less able to deliver crucial infection-fighting oxidative responses to combat invading pathogens because of dysfunction in their tiny energy-generating organelles, the mitochondria.

The study is published online in the journal Pediatrics.

“Granulocytes fight cellular invaders like bacteria and viruses by producing highly reactive oxidants, toxic chemicals that kill microorganisms. Our findings show that in children with severe autism the level of that response was both lower and slower," said Eleonora Napoli, lead study author and project scientist in the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "The granulocytes generated less highly reactive oxidants and took longer to produce them."

The researchers also found that the mitochondria in the granulocytes of children with autism consumed far less oxygen than those of the typically developing children — another sign of decreased mitochondrial function.

Thank you all for answering my question!

I forgot to include the link(maybe I included and somehow it didn't show up), but I couldn't find the link now.

Also thanks for the idea to get a prescription.

Qun

A biomat is a large thermal/heating mat that heats up very high and you lay on for a certain amount of time. www.biotmat.com - they are quite expensive but have proven to work for various conditions (mostly physical/pain relief) but after Qun's post I did read a few articles related to mitochondrial diseases and the use of a biomat. Of course, there is nothing out there extremely concrete or any real studies related to it..... which is where we are with everything Autism-related honestly.

But if she/he can get a prescription for a biomat, it may be worth a shot. And if nothing else, I imagine those things would be suuuuper calming to use.

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of a cell.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. ;)

If you posted a link, it did not show up. However, I looked it up and it's very interesting, but seems to be something that is more likely to be an issue with people that have shown regression with autism or severe autism. Sounds like, this is something that can also be tested for to determine if the child may have a mitochondrial disease. Considering the price of a Biomat, I'd first speak with your child's doctor and see if they can test for any issues with their mitochondria's oxygen consumption and any other possible Mitochondrial diseases/issues possible there, and if there is an issue there - see if there is a way to get a prescription for a Biomat which could greatly reduce the price. I mean, I was able to get a prescription for my son to ride horses as a therapy, so you never know!

If you have the money to blow on one, it may be worth it for you. However, it would still benefit from having your child seen by a doctor and tests run if you are concerned this may be a problem.