Opioids Impair Intestinal Epithelial Repair in HIV-Infected Humanized Mice.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal barrier dysfunction and subsequent microbial translocation play crucial roles in persistent immune activation leading to HIV disease progression. Opioid use is associated with worse outcome in HIV-infected patients. The exacerbated disease progression by opioids is mainly driven by excessive intestinal inflammation and increased gut permeability. The objective of this study is to investigate how opioids potentiate HIV disease progression by compromising intestinal barrier function and impairing intestinal epithelial self-repair mechanism. In the present study, abnormal intestinal morphology and reduced epithelial proliferation were observed in bone marrow-liver-thymus humanized mice and in HIV-infected patients who were exposed to opioids. In bone marrow-liver-thymus mice, HIV,

SUBMITTER: Meng J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6978907 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature