- Possible pathomechanism of autoimmune hepatitis (AI-H). Prandota J, Am J Ther. 2003 Jan-Feb;10(1):51-7.
" . . . In addition, some food additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and/or aspartame regularly consumed in excessive amounts, may eventually disturb the delicate balance between a positively charged amino acid residue at position DRbeta71 (lysine or arginine) and a negatively charged amino acid residue at position P4 on the antigenic peptide (glutamic acid or aspartic acid). This may favor formation of a salt bridge between these amino acid residues . . . MSG and aspartate may also depress serum concentrations of growth hormone, which downregulate the activity of several cytochrome P-450 hepatic and other drug-metabolizing enzymes, thus increasing sensitivity to some environmental agents and possibly influencing efficacy of treatment regimens and final outcome of patients with type 1 AI-H. "
- A high dietary intake of sodium glutamate as flavoring (ajinomoto) causes gross changes in retinal morphology and function. Ohguro H et al., Exp Eye Res. 2002 Sep;75(3):307-15.
" . . .Significant accumulation of glutamate in vitreous was observed in rats following addition of sodium glutamate to the diet as compared to levels with a regular diet. In the retinal morphology, thickness of retinal neuronal layers was remarkably thinner in rats fed on sodium glutamate diets than in those on a regular diet. . . The present study suggests that a diet with excess sodium glutamate over a period of several years may increase glutamate concentrations in vitreous and may cause retinal cell destruction. "Note: There were two groups who received MSG. One received a "moderate excess" and the other received a "large excess" of MSG in their diet. Both these diets showed retinal cell destruction.
- Effects of oral monosodium (L)-glutamate on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers.Chevassus H, et al, Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Jun;53(6):641-3.
" . . . Oral (L)-glutamate enhances glucose-induced insulin secretion in healthy volunteers in a concentration-dependent manner. "
- Locomotor and learning deficits in adult rats exposed to monosodium-L-glutamate during early life. Ali MM, Bawari M, Misra UK, Babu GN., Neurosci Lett. 2000 Apr 21;284(1-2):57-60.
" . . . The results indicate that exposure to MSG in early life in rats could lead to subtle behavioral aberrations in late adulthood. "
- Why do some dietary migraine patients claim they get headaches from placebos? Strong FC 3rd. Clin Exp Allergy. 2000 May;30(5):739-43.
" . . . Quantities giving moderate headaches were: 1 gelatin capsule, 400 mg MSG, 118 mg PHVP, 4.0 mg aspartame . . . Capsules may give headaches to dietary migraine patients that are similar to those from foods. This would explain some of the headaches of patients from placebos. . . "- The monosodium glutamate symptom complex: assessment in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Yang WH, Drouin MA, Herbert M, Mao Y, Karsh J., J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997 Jun;99(6 Pt 1):757-62
" . . . We conducted oral challenge studies in self-identified MSG-sensitive subjects to determine whether they had a statistically significant difference in the incidence of their specific symptoms after ingestion of MSG compared with placebo. . . . Total and average severity of symptoms after ingestion of MSG (374 and 80) were greater than respective values after placebo ingestion . . . Rechallenge revealed an apparent threshold dose for reactivity of 2.5 gm MSG. Headache (p < 0.023), muscle tightness (p < 0.004), numbness/tingling (p < 0.007), general weakness (p < 0.040), and flushing (p < 0.016) occurred more frequently after MSG than placebo ingestion. . . . "
- Chronobiological variations in the convulsive effect of monosodium L-glutamate when administered to adult rats, Feria-Velasco A, Feria-Cuevas Y, Gutierrez-Padilla R, Arch Med Res 1995;26 Spec No:S127-32
" Monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) when administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to rodents induces convulsions and has been used as a model . . .The aim of this work was to learn whether the convulsive effect of MSG in rats would vary when the drug is given at different times of the day. . . .. . . Nearly 70% of animals injected at 07:00 h died in status epilepticus, [seizure] whereas no deaths were recorded in animals injected at 15:00 and 23:00 h. Results could be explained in terms of variations of physiological processes . . . related to circadian rhythms."
- Monosodium L-glutamate: a double-blind study and review. Tarasoff L, Kelly MF. Food Chem Toxicol. 1993 Dec;31(12):1019-35.
" 71 healthy subjects were treated with placebos and monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) doses of 1.5, 3.0 and 3.15 g/person, . . . The present study led to the conclusion that 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' is an anecdote applied to a variety of postprandial (following a meal) illnesses; rigorous and realistic scientific evidence linking the syndrome to MSG could not be found. "
- Neonatal exposure to monosodium glutamate alters the neurobehavioral performance of adult rats. Squibb RE, Tilson HA, Meyer OA, Lamartiniere CA, Neurotoxicology 1981 Nov;2(3):471-84
"... body weights of MSG exposed males were less than the 13% exposed isosmotic controls. MSG exposed females, however, appeared to be obese compared to their controls at 102 days and exhibited a 50% incidence of tail-automutilation. ...results indicate that postnatal exposure to MSG produced measurable, long-term behavioral and somatic alterations in female and, to a lesser degree, male rats."
- Monosodium glutamate exposure in the neonate alters hypothalamic and pituitary neuropeptide levels in the adult. Hong JS, Lowe C, Squibb RE, Lamartiniere CA, Regul Pept. 1981 Nov;2(6):347-52.
" Administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) during the neonatal period in rats produced differential effects on the contents of various neuropeptides in the hypothalamus: . . .MSG treatment reduced the pituitary content of beta-ELI and abolished the sex difference in beta-ELI level seen in the control rats. . . . "