Adding a certain tomato concentrate to the diet reduces aiDS-related intestinal inflammation, according to new mouse studies led by the University of California, Los Angeles. If left untreated, intestinal inflammation can accelerate artery disease and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
AIDS patients have a condition called "leaky gut," in which products from gut bacteria, such as lipopolysaccharide, are transferred to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. These products promote systemic inflammation and accelerate coronary artery disease.
The researchers worked with mice infected with HIV. Some of the mice were fed a diet containing tomato concentrate Tg6F, while others were fed a normal diet that was low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Tg6F comes from a specific type of genetically modified tomato that contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant peptides called ApoA-I mimic peptide.
The study found that mice treated with Tg6F had lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in their intestines and blood compared to mice on a standard diet. In addition, they found that Tg6F blocked the increase in levels of a protein called ADAM17, which coordinates the inflammatory response in people with chronic HIV.
"Combining apoA-I mimicpeptide with antiviral drugs may be a novel therapy for treating inflammation and preventing HIV disease and death," the researchers said.
