This invention reveals the beneficial use of vitamin E tocotrienols for
inhibition of chlamydial infections. Chlamydial infection levels in mouse
macrophages treated with tocotrienol were decreased >50%, with
concomitant aberrant pathogen development. The number of large and small
inclusions in tocotrienol-versus-control cells was decreased 3-fold and
2-fold, respectively. When treated with delta tocotrienol, Chlamydia in
human lymphocytes was inhibited by at least 2.6-fold in 1.5 days. Dietary
delta tocotrienol inhibited Chlamydia infection and persistence in
hypercholesterolemic patients with a corresponding drop in LDL. These
studies demonstrate that tocotrienol lowers cholesterol, thus preventing
or diminishing the cholesterol hijacking by Chlamydia obligatory for its
infectivity and replication. Therefore, hypolipidemic agents used to
treat cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes are used
as monotherapies, or in combination with tocotrienol to treat Chlamydia.