Ion transportation

Ion transportation refers to the transport of ions into or out of cells or cell compartments.

Function
Ion transportation plays key roles in the functioning of many different bodily systems, including the nervous system, the endocrine system, energy metabolism and the cardiovascular system. Important ions, sometimes called electrolytes, include calcium, potassium, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium.

Cell membranes are normally impermeable to ions. Ion channels, ion pumps, and ion transporters are cell membrane proteins that allow and control ion transport into and out of cells, or between different compartments within cells.

Ion channel diseases
Ion channel diseases are caused by mutations in ion channel genes. Evidence of ion transportation dysfunction has been found in ME/CFS.

Ion transportation dysfunction can result in an incorrect balance of different ions, which in extreme cases may cause death.

ME/CFS
Klaus Wirth and Carmen Scheibenbogen hypothesize that high intracellular sodium levels may be the primary cause of the dysfunction in MECFS. This hypothesis states that high intracellular sodium caused by infection or exertion triggers calcium channels to reverse. This creates a positive feedback loop where even small amounts of exertion can cause severe intracellular ion imbalance (PEM). In particular, intracellular calcium is essential to mitochondrial function, causing the energy dysfunction seen in ME/CFS. This hypothesis also predicts low intracellular potassium following exertion in ME/CFS patients, causing a form of hypokalemic periodic paralysis seen in severe patients.

An Australian research team led by Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik found that both ME/CFS and Long COVID patients had ion channel receptor dysfunction that affected the flow of calcium into and out of cells.

Symptom Recognition
Symptoms resulting from ion transportation problems are part of the International Consensus Criteria.

Notable studies

 * 2021, Potential Therapeutic Benefit of Low Dose Naltrexone in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Role of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 Ion Channels in Pathophysiology and Treatment - (Full text)

Potential Treatments
Electrolytes are one of the suggestions for treating energy metabolism and ion iransportation problems in general.

Learn more

 * Channelopathies (review) - Kim June-Bum


 * Periodic Paralysis - What clinicians should know