Can uridine supplements protect people with HIV/AIDS from drug toxicity?
cet article est disponible en franais For many years a class of drugs called nukes (nucleoside analogues) has been the cornerstone of combination therapy to treat HIV/AIDS. Examples of nukes include the following: AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir) d4T (stavudine, Zerit) 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir) ddI (didanosine, Videx) ABC (abacavir, Ziagen) ddC (zalcitabine, Hivid) Some nukes have been linked with certain side effects, including: damage to the nerves in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy) painfully swollen pancreas glands (pancreatitis) swollen, fatty liver loss of subcutaneous fat in the arms, legs, face and buttocks higher-than-normal levels of lactic acid in the blood The underlying reason for this nuke-related damage, at least in test-tube studies, may be because these drugs can damage the energy-producing parts of cells, called mitochondria. When damaged, mitochondria do not produce enough energy, so cells may not work properly and may die. Treatment for damaged mitochondria can i
