Amino acid compositions for the treatment of symptoms of disease

Abstract

The subject invention provides therapeutic compositions, and uses thereof for the treatment or amelioration of symptoms of a disease selected from the group consisting of: Ebola virus infection, HIV infection, ataxia, environmental enteropathy, cancer, hangover, inflammatory disease, and porcine epidemic diarrhea. In preferred embodiments, the composition includes a combination of one or more amino acids selected from the group comprising lysine, aspartic acid, glycine, isoleucine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, tryptophan, asparagine and/or serine.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of treating the symptoms of a disease selected from the group consisting of: Ebola virus infection, HIV infection, ataxia, environmental enteropathy, cancer, hangover, inflammatory disease, and porcine epidemic diarrhea, comprising administering to the subject, a composition comprising one or more ingredients selected from lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, treosine, serine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids or a combination thereof; wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide; wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l and wherein the composition does not comprises methionine or a methionine-containing dipeptide. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises water. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         5 . A method for treating a subject having HIV infection comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising one or more ingredients selected from lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, treosine, serine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids or a combination thereof; wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide; wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l; and wherein the composition does not comprises methionine or a methionine-containing dipeptide. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition does not comprise one or more ingredients selected from glucose, glutamine, glutamine-containing dipeptides, and methionine, or, if one or more of these ingredients is present, glucose is present at a concentration of less than I g/l, glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present at a concentration of less than 300 mg/l, and methionine is present at a concentration of less than 300 mg/l. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition further comprises water. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         9 . A method for treating a subject having ataxia symptoms comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising at least one amino acid that retains or acquires improved absorptive capacity following the impairment of small intestine epithelial cells, the amino acids selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, serine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; one or more electrolyte selected from among the group consisting of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         12 . A method for treating a subject having reduced Villus height comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid that retains or acquires improved absorptive capacity following the impairment of small intestine epithelial cells, the amino acids selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, serine, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         15 . A method for the treatment of environmental enteropathy comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, serine, tryptophan, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         18 . A method for the treatment of weight loss caused by cancer comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, serine, tryptophan, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         21 . A method for treating a subject having a hangover comprising administering to the subject, a composition comprising one or more ingredients selected from lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, treosine, serine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids or a combination thereof; wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide; wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l; and wherein the composition does not comprises methionine or a methionine-containing dipeptide. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises water. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         25 . A method for treating a subject having inflammation comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising one or more ingredients selected from lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, treosine, serine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids or a combination thereof; wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide; wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l; and wherein the composition does not comprises methionine or a methionine-containing dipeptide. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition does not comprise one or more ingredients selected from glucose, glutamine, glutamine-containing dipeptides, and methionine, or, if one or more of these ingredients is present, glucose is present at a concentration of less than I g/l, glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present at a concentration of less than 300 mg/l, and methionine is present at a concentration of less than 300 mg/l. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition further comprises water. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine and tryptophan. 
     
     
         29 . A method for treating a subject having a loss of electrolytes comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising at least one amino acid that retains or acquires improved absorptive capacity following the impairment of small intestine epithelial cells, the amino acids selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, serine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; one or more electrolyte selected from among the group consisting of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         32 . A method for treating a subject having dehydration comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid that retains or acquires improved absorptive capacity following the impairment of small intestine epithelial cells, the amino acids selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, tryptophan, serine, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         35 . A method for enhancing nutrient delivery to a subject comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, serine, tryptophan, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine. 
     
     
         38 . A method for treating a subject having porcine epidemic diarrhea comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising an amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, threonine, valine, and tyrosine, as free amino acids; and wherein the composition does not comprise free amino acid glutamine or a glutamine-containing dipeptide, or, if free amino acid glutamine and/or a glutamine-containing dipeptide is present, the total concentration of the free amino acid glutamine and the glutamine-containing dipeptide is less than 300 mg/l and wherein the composition does not comprise glucose or, if glucose is present, the concentration of glucose is less than 1 g/l. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the composition comprises threonine, tyrosine, serine, valine, and tryptophan as free amino acids. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the composition further comprises aspartic acid, isoleucine, and/or asparagine.