Health food ‘Mito Q’, recovery of organs damaged by HIV infection?

A study has found that Mito Q, a mitochondrial antioxidant as a health functional food, has the potential to restore damaged organs in people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

A research team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine found that the health functional food ‘Mito Q’ can restore various organs such as the brain, heart, aorta, lungs, kidneys, liver, and digestive tract that have been damaged in HIV-infected mice. It was revealed that the results of the experiment were People with HIV are at high risk of damage to various organs when receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

The research team used molecular techniques to measure the ratio of human and mouse mitochondrial (mtDNA) to nuclear DNA (ntDNA), a measure of mitochondrial dysfunction. A decrease in this ratio indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction has occurred. HIV-infected mice treated with ART showed mitochondrial dysfunction in human immune cells in various organs compared to non-HIV-infected mice. This ART itself also had a great effect on mitochondrial function in mouse heart cells.

After being infected with HIV and treated with ART, the research team treated mice with various organ damage with Mito-Q for three months. As a result, mitochondrial dysfunction in the organs of these mice was significantly reduced. Mitochondria are key cellular structures that are very important for the proper functioning of various organs, including the brain. HIV causes inflammation and immune dysfunction, exacerbating organ damage. Although the exact cause is not known, mitochondrial dysfunction exacerbates organ damage and also occurs in people with chronic HIV infection. There is still no cure for HIV-related diseases that adversely affect various organs.

The research team created ‘humanized mice’ by having mice with human immune cells. These mice become susceptible to HIV infection. The research team infected humanized mice with HIV and treated them with an antiretroviral regimen consisting of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine and raltegravir. They were then given Mito Q with drinking water for 90 days. Control mice were not fed Mito Q at all.

The team said the humanized mice do not accurately reproduce human HIV infection. First author of the study, Associate Professor Theodoros Kelesidis (Infectious Diseases) said, “Until it is confirmed that Mito-Q has a good effect on people with HIV, Mito-Q, a health functional food used for diet, should not be used by HIV-infected patients. It should not be used for medicinal purposes.”

The results of this study (Mitoquinone Mesylate and Mitochondrial DNA in End Organs in Humanized Mouse Model of Chronic Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection) were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.