The effects of recombinant gp120 on the proliferative responses and cytokine production by normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were investigated. gp120 inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion the anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (MAb)- and concanavalin A-induced proliferative responses. The production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 was diminished by gp120 in the anti-CD3- and concanavalin A-stimulated cultures. In unstimulated PBMC, gp120 induced the production of considerable amounts of IL-10, gamma interferon, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The gp120-induced reduction in the proliferative responses of PBMC was at least partially reversed by the addition of IL-2, anti-CD28 MAb, or transfectants expressing CD80, CD86, or CD40 but not with exogenous IL-4. Also, a neutralizing anti-IL-10 MAb reversed the inhibitory effect of gp120 on the proliferative responses whereas exogenous IL-10 further enhanced this inhibitory effect. These findings indicate that IL-10 plays an important role in the inhibitory effect of gp120 on PBMC proliferation. The ratio of CD3+CD4+ to CD3+CD8+ T cells was the same in gp120-treated and untreated cell cultures. No apoptosis in these two T-cell populations was observed. However, the number of activated CD3+CD4+ T cells and CD3+CD8+ T cells, as judged by CD25, CD69, and HLA-DR expression, was consistently reduced. gp120 induced the expression of IL-10 in the monocyte/macrophage population, and therefore gp120 also reduced the proliferative responses of CD4+ T-cell-depleted PBMC. Taken together, our observations point to the importance of the cytokine pattern changes and, in particular, the role of IL-10 (produced by the monocytes) in the inhibitory effect of gp120. This mechanism of gp120-induced immunosuppression, if operative in vivo, could contribute to the depressed immune responses associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and thus have important implications for immunotherapeutic strategies to slow down disease progression in AIDS.
No abstract is provided for this article.
In the present study, a series of 6-bromo-2,3-disubstitued-4(3H)-quinazolinones was synthesized by condensation of 6-bromo-2-substituted-benzoxazin-4-one with trimethoprim, pyrimethamine and lamotrigine. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by means of IR, 1H-NMR and mass spectral and elemental analysis. The antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of the compounds were tested in E6SM (Herpes simplex-1 KOS, Herpes simplex-1 TK-KOS ACV, Herpes simplex-2 G, Vaccinia virus, Vesicular stomatitis virus, Parainfluenza-3 virus, Reovirus-1, Sindbis virus, Coxsackie virus B4 and Punta Toro virus) and HeLa cell culture (Vesicular stomatitis virus, Coxsackie virus B4 and Respiratory syncyticla virus). Investigation of anti-HIV activity was done against replication of HIV-1 (HTLV-III B LAI) in MT-4 cells. 6-Bromo-2-phenyl-3-[(4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-ethylpyrimidin-2-yl]-4(3H)-quinazolinone (4) exhibited the most potent antiviral activity with a MIC of 1.92 μg/ml against vaccinia virus in E6SM cell culture. The other compounds did not exhibit antiviral activity nor afford significant cytoprotection to the E6SM and HeLa cell culture when challenged with the viruses. The study implies that 4 may possess activity against Pox viruses including variola. In the anti-HIV study, 6-bromo-2-methyl-3-[(4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-ethylpyrimidin-2-yl]-4(3H)-quinazolinone (3) and 6-bromo-2-phenyl-3-[(4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-ethylpyrimidin-2-yl]-4(3H)-quinazolinone (4) exhibited the least cytotoxic concentration (0.424, 0.461 μg/ml) which is an index of the infective viability of mock infected MT-4 cells with HIV-1. None of the compounds exhibited significant anti-HIV activity.
It is now generally accepted that mono- and bitherapy for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are only transiently efficient mainly due to virus drug resistance. To obtain a sustained benefit from antiviral therapy, current guidelines recommend at least triple-drug combinations, or the so-called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In some patients, HAART can be problematic, either because it is difficult to remain compliant or because previous suboptimum therapies have limited the choice of drugs. For compliant drug-naive patients, HAART should be able to offer long-term virus suppression, when changing from first- to second- to third-line HAART at drug failure. Long-term treatment might ultimately result in multi-drug resistant virus leaving few options for salvage therapy. HIV drug resistance testing to guide this salvage therapy and the development of new drugs to allow new options will therefore remain priorities in anti-HIV drug research.
