More positve results from raising uric acid levels

Some of you may know of the research looking at whether raising blood levels of uric acid by means of a common nutritional supplement, Inosine, is effective in controlling MS. The theory behind this work is quite interesting--an epidemiological investigation showing that MS and gout appear to be mutually exclusive. Since gout is caused by uric acid levels which are too high, the theory is that MS is caused by uric acid levels which are too low. Inosine supplementation can raise uric acid levels.

A small phase 1 trial appeared promising. In this NIH-funded study Phase II trial, they raise the blood level of uric acid by administering inosine doses increasing from 1 to 3 g/day. The goal is to get serum UA levels to approximately 8 mg/dl; thereafter, a lower dose of inosine is given sufficient to maintain serum UA levels within a range of 7 ± 9 mg/dl.

At the recent AAN meeting, one other study reported positive results along this same line of research. An Italian study showed a decrease in relapses for the treated group, but with a twist--some patients showed decreasing uric acid levels even with the inosine supplementation. If I read this correctly, the subgroup whose uric acid levels did not rise had relapses, while the subgroup who responded to the inosine with elevated uric acid levels did not have any relapses.