Natural antimutagenic agents may prolong efficacy of human immunodeficiency virus drug therapy

Abstract

The long-term efficacy of new combination drug therapies for human immunodeficiency virus infection may be limited by the tendency of transfected human immunodeficiency virus to mutate to drug-resistant forms. This argues for the use of safe antimutagenic measures as adjuvants to such therapies. Certain nutrients and food factors — notably selenium, green-tea polyphenols, and cruciferous phytochemicals — can suppress cancer initiation and mutagenesis in animal and cell culture models; epidemiological studies suggest that ambient variations in consumption of these food factors can have an important impact on human cancer rates. Low-fat diets may reduce deoxyribonucleic acid base damage in human leukocytes, whereas increased body iron stores are likely to increase mutation rates. Thus, ample but safe intakes of selenium, green-tea polyphenols, and cruciferous vegetables, in the context of a diet low in fat and assimilable iron, can be expected to prolong the efficacy of drug therapy in subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. These measures can also be recommended for cancer prevention in the general population.