Brazilian scientists revealed a diet rich in food fibers, for patients with COVID-19. It turned out that the compounds produced by the intestine microbiota in response to the intake of fiber reduces inflammatory processes and reduce the expression of the gene contributing to the penetration of SARS-COV-2 into the cells. The potential way to avoid complications is reported in an article published in the GUT MICROBES journal. Briefly about scientific work is described in a press release on MedicalXpress.
It is known that up to 50 percent of patients with COVID-19 are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Such symptoms are also detected in 17.6 percent of severe cases. They are partially associated with the penetration of viruses in the intestinal cells, which leads to a violation of their normal functions. In addition, infection affects the intestinal microbiota and reduces the number of bacteria that distinguish short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) by fermentation of food fibers.
In the course of the work, scientists infected with coronavirus healthy tissue tissue and epithelial cells. Although SCFA processing did not reduce the viral load, the researchers revealed a decrease in the expression of the DDX58 gene. It encodes a protein that detects viral nucleic acids and activates the signal cascade, leading to the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, the level of protein of TMPRSS2 has decreased, which is important for penetration into viral cells.
Excessive production of cytokines can lead to a severe condition of patients, for example, a cytokine storm and respiratory distress syndrome, which often lead to the death of patients.