Tungsten supplemented diet

Although there is no data relating to free-radical activity in humans, several animal models have been developed (Parks etal., 1983). Pitt etal. (1991) showed that more severe injury occurred in the proximal small intestine, where levels of XO were highest. SOD has been reported to be protective in a rat model (Dalsing et al., 1983) and more recently a tungsten-supplemented diet was also found to be of benefit (Pitt et al., 1991). However, whether such treatment could modify the human disease, which usually develops within 10 days of birth, remains to be seen. 

Pitt, R.M., McKelvey, T.G., Saenger, J.S., Shah, A.K., Jones, H.P., Manci, E.A. and Powell, R.W. (1991). A tungsten-supplemented diet delivered by transplacental and breastfeeding routes lowers intestinal xanthine oxidase activity and affords cytoprotection in ischaemia-reperfusion injury to the small intestine. J. Paediatr. Suig. 26, 930-935. 

---