Type I interferon as a powerful adjuvant for monocyte-derived dendritic cell development and activity in vitro and in Hu-PBL-SCID mice.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are cytokines exhibiting antiviral and antitumor effects, including multiple activities on immune cells. However, the importance of these cytokines in the early events leading to the generation of an immune response is still unclear. Here, we have investigated the effects of type I IFNs on freshly isolated granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-treated human monocytes in terms of dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and activity in vitro and in severe combined immunodeficiency mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood leukocytes (hu-PBL-SCID) mice. Type I IFNs induced a surprisingly rapid maturation of monocytes into short-lived tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-expressing DCs endowed with potent functional activities, superior with respect to the interleukin (IL)-4/GM-CSF treatment, as shown by FACS((R)) analyses, mixed leukocyte reaction assays with allogeneic PBLs, and lymphocyte proliferation responses to HIV-1-pulsed autologous DCs. Type I IFN induced IL-15 production and strongly promoted a T helper cell type 1 response. Notably, injection of IFN-treated HIV-1-pulsed DCs in SCID mice reconstituted with autologous PBLs resulted in the generation of a potent primary immune response, as evaluated by the detection of human antibodies to various HIV-1 antigens. These results provide a rationale for using type I IFNs as vaccine adjuvants and support the concept that a natural alliance between these cytokines and monocytes/DCs represents an important early mechanism for connecting innate and adaptive immunity.

Activation of rho GTPases by cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 induces macropinocytosis and scavenging activity in epithelial cells.

Macropinocytosis, a ruffling-driven process that allows the capture of large material, is an essential aspect of normal cell function. It can be either constitutive, as in professional phagocytes where it ends with the digestion of captured material, or induced, as in epithelial cells stimulated by growth factors. In this case, the internalized material recycles back to the cell surface. We herein show that activation of Rho GTPases by a bacterial protein toxin, the Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1), allowed epithelial cells to engulf and digest apoptotic cells in a manner similar to that of professional phagocytes. In particular, we have demonstrated that 1) the activation of all Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 by CNF1 was essential for the capture and internalization of apoptotic cells; and 2) such activation allowed the discharge of macropinosomal content into Rab7 and lysosomal associated membrane protein-1 acidic lysosomal vesicles where the ingested particles underwent degradation. Taken together, these findings indicate that CNF1-induced "switching on" of Rho GTPases may induce in epithelial cells a scavenging activity, comparable to that exerted by professional phagocytes. The activation of such activity in epithelial cells may be relevant, in mucosal tissues, in supporting or integrating the scavenging activity of resident macrophages.

Primary HIV-1 infection of human CD4+ T cells passaged into SCID mice leads to selection of chronically infected cells through a massive fas-mediated autocrine suicide of uninfected cells.

We have recently shown that a human CD4+ T cell line (CEM-SS) acquires the permissiveness to M-tropic strains and primary isolates of HIV-1 after transplantation into SCID mice. This permissiveness was associated with the acquisition of a memory (CD45RO+) phenotype as well as of a functional CCR5 coreceptor. In this study, we have used this model for invest-igating in vivo the relationships between HIV-1 infection, apoptosis and T cell differentiation. When an in vivo HIV-1 infection was performed, the CEM cell tumors grew to a lower extent than the uninfected controls. CEM cells explanted from uninfected SCID mice (ex vivo CEM) underwent a significant level of spontaneous apoptosis and proved to be CD45RO+, Fas+ and Fas-L+, while Bcl-2 expression was significantly reduced as compared to the parental cells. Acute HIV-1 infection markedly increased apoptosis of uninfected ex vivo CEM cells, through a Fas/Fas-L-mediated autocrine suicide/fratricide, while parental cells did not undergo apoptosis following viral infection. The susceptibility to apoptosis of ex vivo CEM cells infected with the NSI strain of HIV-1, was progressively lost during culture, in parallel with the loss of Fas-L and marked changes in the Bcl-2 cellular distribution. On the whole, these results are strongly reminiscent of a series of events possibly occurring during HIV-1 infection. After an initial depletion of bystander CD4+ memory T cells during acute infection, latently or chronically infected CD4+ T lymphocytes are progressively selected and are protected against spontaneous apoptosis through the development of an efficient survival program. Studies with human cells passaged into SCID mice may offer new opportunities for an in vivo investigation of the mechanisms involved in HIV-1 infection and CD4+ T cell depletion.

Role of cytokines in GVL (ESb lymphoma) and GVHD after adoptive transfer of allogeneic T lymphocytes in mice.

ESb lymphoma cells injected i.v. into DBA/2 (H-2d) mice multiply rapidly in the liver and kill all mice in a few days. Adoptive transfer of allogeneic C57B1/6 (H-2b) tumor-immune or normal splenic lymphocytes to sublethally irradiated DBA/2 mice induced a marked antitumor state, graft-versus-leukemia (GVL), increasing the mean survival time 2-3-fold, but also induced an acute and lethal graft-versus host disease (GVHD). We have undertaken experiments to try to dissociate GVL from GVHD. Transfer of immune spleen cells induced a greater GVL than transfer of normal spleen cells with an equivalent to GVHD. Three to five million immune or normal CD8+ T lymphocytes were sufficient to induce both GVL and GVHD. Individual DBA/2 mice were labeled and followed. In mice undergoing GVHD, the spleens were repopulated by donor (H-2b) lymphocytes, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were present in the sera of 26 of 27 and 18 of 20 mice, respectively, together with increased amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA in their spleens. This was in contrast to DBA/2 mice receiving allogeneic cells but not developing GVHD. Both interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and IL-12, which had proven very effective in association with adoptive transfer of syngeneic immune T lymphocytes in inhibiting ESb metastases, enhanced GVHD when administered with allogeneic immune or normal spleen cells, and >90% of mice died. Intensive IL-2 treatment inhibited GVHD while maintaining GVL.

The SCID mouse reaction to human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocyte engraftment. Neutrophil recruitment induced expression of a wide spectrum of murine cytokines and mouse leukopoiesis, including thymic differentiation.

In this study, we describe the kinetics of host immune reactions occurring in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) at different times after the intraperitoneal injection of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (huPBL). At 24 hr, a massive neutrophil recruitment and an induced expression of a wide spectrum of murine cytokine mRNA (i.e., interleukin [IL]-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha and interferon [IFN]-gamma) occurred in the huPBL-SCID mouse peritoneal cavity. By using ELISAs specific for mouse cytokines, large amounts of IL-1-alpha, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IFN-gamma were detected in the peritoneal washings of huPBL-SCID mice 1 day after intraperitoneal injection. IL-6 and IFN-gamma production persisted for up to 2 weeks after PBL transplantation. Medullary and extramedullary expansion of the SCID mouse hematopoietic cells also occurred in the chimeras as early as 1 week after injection, together with a marked thymic differentiation (murine CD4+/CD8+ cells) at 10-12 weeks after transplantation. On the whole, these results indicate that, after huPBL injection, SCID mice mount a complex multistage immune response. These host reactions should be taken into consideration for any accurate interpretation of results obtained using the huPBL-SCID model. The control of responses (by means of specific antibodies to murine cytokines and to granulocytes or through the use of anti-inflammatory drugs) may be helpful in improving the engraftment of huPBL in SCID mice and in furthering our knowledge of the T and B cell-independent natural immune reactions.

Treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency mice with anti-murine granulocyte monoclonal antibody improves human leukocyte xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: The residual resistance of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice to human graft is the main factor in conditioning both the extent of human cell reconstitution and the xenograft-to-xenograft variability. We have recently shown that an early and massive murine granulocyte recruitment is the main event in the SCID mouse reaction to the human graft. METHODS: Here, we evaluate the importance of mouse granulocytes in the restriction of human cell engraftment in SCID mice. We injected SCID mice with a monoclonal antibody to murine granulocytes. RESULTS: Injection of this antibody resulted in a marked depletion of polymorphonuclear cells in the hematopoietic organs of SCID mice. This depletion was associated with a significant increase in both the growth of human cell lines of different hematopoietic origin and the engraftment of human peripheral blood leukocytes. Moreover, the abolishment of the early granulocyte reaction markedly reduced the xenograft-to-xenograft variation, a major shortcoming of these xenochimeric models. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insights into the control of the natural immune response of SCID mice against human graft. Furthermore, treatments aimed at controlling the acute inflammatory reaction of SCID mouse-to-human cell transplantation can be considered useful experimental approaches for increasing the xenograft-to-xenograft reproducibility.

U937-SCID mouse xenografts: a new model for acute in vivo HIV-1 infection suitable to test antiviral strategies.

In this study we attempted to develop a new xenochimeric model for HIV infection in SCID mice, characterized by an easy engraftment of target cells, high levels of viremia and long-lasting HIV-1 infection. SCID mice were injected subcutaneously with uninfected human U937 cells and cell-free HIV-1 (IIIB strain) or HIV-1-infected human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). Mice were evaluated for tumor growth, viral infection at the tumor level (DNA-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), RNA-PCR) and immunostaining for the p55/p18 HIV protein) and p24 antigenemia or serum HIV-1 RNA copies. Pretreatment of mice with antibodies to either mouse-IFN alpha/beta or granulocytes resulted in a tumor take and levels of p24 antigenemia higher than in control mice. In mice treated with these antibody preparations, there was a long-lasting HIV infection with the presence of high levels of circulating infectious virus (serum p24 values up to 4000 pg/ml and serum RNA copies up to 5 x 10(7)/ml over 3 months, with the majority of the cells expressing HIV-antigens at the tumor site). Intraperitoneal treatment of SCID mice with AZT (480 mg/kg per day) resulted in a complete inhibition of both p24 and RNA HIV-1 copies in the serum, together with a marked reduction in the number of infected cells and the levels of virus expression at the tumor site. We conclude that some specific features of this model (i.e. easy establishment, high reproducibility, well defined kinetics of virus infection, massive and long persistent viremia) underline the special advantages of its use for testing new antiviral therapies.

Linkage between cell membrane proteins and actin-based cytoskeleton: the cytoskeletal-driven cellular functions.

Asymmetric organization of the plasma membrane and cytosolic organelles is fundamental for a variety of cells, including bacteria, yeast and eukaryotic cells (Nelson, 1992). The degree into which cells polarize is characterized by their ability to create and maintain morphologically and biochemically distinct plasma membrane domains. The generation and maintenance of polarized distribution of membrane components (proteins and lipids) is thus critical to the ability of cells to perform complex activities such as cell-to-cell interactions, vectorial transport and secretion, cellular immunity, development and morphogenesis. Modification of cellular polarity may potentially lead to abnormal cellular activities and various pathological disorders (Molitoris, 1991; Carone et al., 1994; Chen et al., 1995). Our review shows the complex interplay between membrane proteins and the cytoskeletal network in determining the "polarized phenotype" in the cell. We provide evidence that membrane/cytoskeleton interaction is the key to regulation of the vast majority of cellular functions.

A new type I IFN-mediated pathway for the rapid differentiation of monocytes into highly active dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a unique leukocyte type consisting of different subsets of professional antigen-presenting cells. Since DCs initiate and govern the immune response, they represent an ideal target for intervention aimed at modulating and potentiating immune responses against cancer and infectious diseases. We recently described and characterized, at a functional level, a novel DC subset, interferon (IFN)-DCs, derived from blood monocytes after a short exposure to type I IFN and GM-CSF. Here, we review our recent studies on IFN-DCs and discuss their possible use in clinical immunotherapeutic strategies.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 induces cellular polarization, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 redistribution, and multinucleated giant cell generation in human primary monocytes but not in monocyte-derived macrophages.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) on some morphologic and functional changes in cultured human monocytes/macrophages at different stages of differentiation. Freshly isolated monocytes infected with HIV-1 24 hours after seeding exhibited marked morphologic changes such as uropod formation, polarization of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the cytoplasmic projection, the redistribution of alpha-actinin on cell-membrane dots, and an increased release of soluble ICAM-1. These changes preceded the increase in monocyte-monocyte fusion and the formation of multinucleated giant cells. In contrast, HIV-1 infection did not affect monocyte-derived macrophages in terms of either cellular polarization or multinucleated giant cell formation. Immunocytochemistry showed that HIV-1 matrix protein was present mostly in bi- and trinucleated cells, which suggests that multinucleated giant cells may represent a long-lived and highly productive cellular source of HIV. The treatment of the HIV-1-infected monocytes with azidodeoxythymidine virtually abolished all viral-induced morphofunctional changes. On the whole, these results indicate that blood monocytes and differentiated macrophages may be affected differently by HIV infection, as monocytes seem to be much more prone to polarize, undergo homotypic fusion, and form multinucleated giant cells. These changes may confer to HIV-infected monocytes an increased ability to transmigrate through endothelia into tissues, whereas differentiated macrophages may have a predominant role as a widespread reservoir of HIV.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strains R5 and X4 induce different pathogenic effects in hu-PBL-SCID mice, depending on the state of activation/differentiation of human target cells at the time of primary infection.

In a previous study, we had found that the extent of T-cell dysfunctions induced by a T-tropic strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hu-PBLs) (hu-PBL-SCID mice) was related to the in vivo state of activation of the human lymphocytes. In this article, we compared the effect of infection of hu-PBL-SCID mice with either T-tropic (X4) or M-tropic (R5) strains of HIV-1 by performing virus inoculation at either 2 h or 2 weeks after the hu-PBL transfer, when the human T cells exhibited a marked activation state or a predominant memory phenotype, respectively. A comparable level of infection was found when hu-PBL-SCID mice were challenged with either the SF162 R5 or the IIIB X4 strain of HIV at 2 h postreconstitution, while at 2 weeks, the R5 virus infection resulted in a higher level of HIV replication than the X4 virus. The R5 strain induced a marked human CD4(+) T-cell depletion along with a drop in levels of human immunoglobulin M in serum and release of soluble factors at both infection times, while the X4 virus induced severe immune dysfunctions only at 2 h. Of interest, injection of hu-PBLs into SCID mice resulted in a marked up-regulation of CCR5 on human CD4(+) T cells. The percentage of CXCR4(+) cells did not change after transplantation, even though a significant decrease in antigen expression was observed. Comparative experiments with two molecular clones of HIV-1 (X4 SF2 and R5 SF162) and two envelope recombinant viruses generated from these viruses showed that R5 viruses (SF162 and the chimeric env-SF162-SF2) caused an extensive depletion of human CD4(+) T cells in SCID mice at both 2 h and 2 weeks after reconstitution, while the X4 viruses (SF2 and the chimeric env-SF2-SF162) induced CD4 T-cell depletion only when infection was performed at the 2-h reconstitution time. These results emphasize the importance of the state of activation/differentiation of human CD4(+) T cells and gp120-coreceptor interactions at the time of primary infection in determining HIV-1 pathogenicity in the hu-PBL-SCID mouse model.

Human intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes are naturally permissive to HIV-1 infection.

The presence of HIV-1 in the intestinal mucosa of AIDS patients has been reported and human intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) have been proposed as important targets for HIV-1 infection. However, little information is available concerning the permissiveness of human intestinal CD4+ T lymphocytes to HIV-1 infection. Here, we show that human LPL, in contrast to autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), are permissive to both X4 T-tropic and R5 M-tropic strains of HIV-1, as well as to clinical isolates, in the absence of exogenous stimuli. Flow cytometry showed that the vast majority of T LPL were CD45RO+ and CD69+, and that CD4+ T LPL highly expressed CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) as compared to PBL, while CX chemokine receptor 4 was equally expressed on LPL and PBL. Exogenous RANTES and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (natural CCR5 ligands) virtually abolished the entry of the R5 M-tropic strain HIV-1 into human LPL. Thus, we infer that human intestinal CD4+ T lymphocytes are naturally susceptible to HIV-1 infection, due to their physiological state of activation and to marked expression of HIV-1 coreceptors, independently of the route of primary (either mucosal or parental) infection and the shifts of the virus phenotype occurring during the course of AIDS.

Human lymphoblastoid CD4(+) T cells become permissive to macrophage-tropic strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 after passage into severe combined immunodeficient mice through in vivo upregulation of CCR5: in vivo dynamics of CD4(+) T-cell differentiation in pathogenesis of AIDS.

In this article, we show that passage in SCID mice rendered a human CD4(+) T-cell line (CEM cells) highly susceptible to infection by macrophage-tropic (M-tropic) strains and primary clinical isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This in vivo-acquired permissiveness of CEM cells was associated with the induction of a CD45RO+ phenotype as well as of some beta-chemokine receptors. Regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted chemokine entirely inhibited the ability of M-tropic HIV-1 strains to infect these cells. These findings may lead to new approaches in investigating in vivo the capacity of different HIV strains to exploit chemokine receptors in relation to the dynamics of the activation and/or differentiation state of human CD4(+) T cells.

Expression of CCR-7, MIP-3beta, and Th-1 chemokines in type I IFN-induced monocyte-derived dendritic cells: importance for the rapid acquisition of potent migratory and functional activities.

The migration capability of dendritic cells (DCs) is regulated by their response to factors, namely chemokines, that characterize maturation stage and shape their functional activities. This study examines the morphology, expression of chemokines/chemokine receptors, and migration properties of DCs generated after treatment of monocytes with type I interferon (IFN) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (IFN-DCs). IFN-DCs showed phenotypical and morphologic features undetectable in DCs generated in the presence of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and GM-CSF, such as expression of CD83 and CD25 and the presence of CD44+, highly polarized, thin, and long dendrites. IFN-DCs markedly migrated in response to beta-chemokines (especially MIP-1beta) and expressed the Th-1 chemokine IP-10. Notably, IFN-DCs showed an up-regulation of CCR7 as well as of its natural ligand MIP-3beta, characteristics typical of mature DCs. Of interest, IFN-DCs exhibited a marked chemotactic response to MIP-3beta in vitro and strong migratory behavior in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In SCID mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood leukocytes, IFN-DCs induced a potent primary human antibody response and IFN-gamma production, indicative of a Th-1 immune response. These results define the highly specialized maturation state of IFN-DCs and point out the existence of a "natural alliance" between type I IFN and monocyte/DC development, instrumental for ensuring an efficient connection between innate and adaptive immunity.

T-cell dysfunctions in hu-PBL-SCID mice infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shortly after reconstitution: in vivo effects of HIV on highly activated human immune cells.

The state of activation of the immune system may be an important factor which renders a host more receptive to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and more vulnerable to its effects. To explore this issue with a practical in vivo model, we developed a modified protocol of HIV infection in hu-PBL-SCID mice. First, we assessed the time course of activation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hu-PBL) in the peritoneal cavity of SCID mice. At 2 to 24 h after the intraperitoneal injection into SCID mice, there was a clear-cut increase in the percentage of hu-PBL expressing early activation markers (CD69), concomitant with the release of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and with the accumulation of mRNAs for a number of human cytokines. At 2 weeks, virtually all of the hu-PBL expressed the memory phenotype (CD45RO) and HLA-DR antigens as well. Cells collected from the SCID mouse peritoneum at 2 and 24 h after transplantation were fully susceptible to in vitro infection with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in the absence of either IL-2 or mitogens. The injection of HIV into hu-PBL-SCID mice at 2 h after reconstitution resulted in a generalized and productive HIV infection of the xenochimeras. This early HIV-1 infection resulted in a dramatic depletion of human CD4+ cells and in decreased levels of sICAM-1 (in the peritoneal lavage fluid) as well as of sIL-2R and immunoglobulins M and A (in the serum). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or reverse transcriptase PCR analysis showed higher levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 in the HIV-infected animals than in control hu-PBL-SCID mice, while gamma interferon levels in the two groups were comparable. When we compared the current model of HIV-1 infection at 2 weeks after the intraperitoneal injection of the hu-PBL in the SCID mice with the model described here, we found that the majority of immune dysfunctions induced in the 2-h infection of the xenochimeras are not inducible in the 2-week infection. This supports the concept that the state of activation of human cells at the moment of the in vivo infection with HIV-1 is a crucial factor in determining the immune derangement observed in AIDS patients. These results show that some immunological dysfunctions induced by HIV infection in AIDS patients can be mimicked in this xenochimeric model. Thus, the hu-PBL-SCID mouse model may be useful in exploring, in vivo, the relevance of hu-PBL activation and differentiation in HIV-1 infection and for testing therapeutic intervention directed towards either the virus or the immune system.

CD95 (APO-1/Fas) linkage to the actin cytoskeleton through ezrin in human T lymphocytes: a novel regulatory mechanism of the CD95 apoptotic pathway.

CD95 (APO-1/Fas) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, which can trigger apoptosis in a variety of cell types. However, little is known of the mechanisms underlying cell susceptibility to CD95-mediated apoptosis. Here we show that human T cells that are susceptible to CD95-mediated apoptosis, exhibit a constitutive polarized morphology, and that CD95 colocalizes with ezrin at the site of cellular polarization. In fact, CD95 co-immunoprecipitates with ezrin exclusively in lymphoblastoid CD4(+) T cells and primary long-term activated T lymphocytes, which are prone to CD95-mediated apoptosis, but not in short-term activated T lymphocytes, which are refractory to the same stimuli, even expressing equal levels of CD95 on the cell membrane. Pre-treatment with ezrin antisense oligonucleotides specifically protected from the CD95-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, we show that the actin cytoskeleton integrity is essential for this function. These findings strongly suggest that the CD95 cell membrane polarization, through an ezrin-mediated association with the actin cytoskeleton, is a key intracellular mechanism in rendering human T lymphocytes susceptible to the CD95-mediated apoptosis.

Defective response to T cell mitogens in mice injected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected U937 cells.

Swiss mice were injected intraperitoneally with uninfected or human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected human U937 cells. At 6 days, no residual human cells were detected in mouse tissues as determined by PCR analysis of DNAs from injected mice using primers and probes for the human HLA-DQ alpha gene. At 6 to 12 months, approximately 60% of the HIV-1-infected mice had antibodies to HIV-1 gp 120 and gp41 proteins. Fifteen percent of the animals showed evidence of HIV-1 infection as determined by PCR analyses of DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes and by in situ hybridization for detection of HIV-1 mRNA in peritoneal cells. In this set of experiments, spleen cells from mice sacrificed at different times after injection were cultured for 48 h in the presence or absence of mitogens [i.e.: concanavalin (Con A) or anti-CD3 antibody] and then tested for lymphocyte proliferation. At 10 to 12 months, splenocytes from approximately 80% of Swiss mice injected with HIV-1-infected U937 cells exhibited a marked defect in their proliferative response to Con A or anti-CD3 antibody as compared with spleen cells from both uninjected or U937 cell-injected mice. Similar results were obtained at 12 months in C3H/HeJ mice. Non-responding spleen cells from HIV-1-injected Swiss mice did not proliferate in response to anti-CD3 antibody even in the presence of co-stimulatory molecules such as phorbol myristate acetate or anti-CD28 antibody. Splenocytes from these mice also exhibited an impaired capacity to produce interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 after mitogen stimulation. No T cell defects were observed in control-injected mice. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed a significant decrease in the percentage of both CD4+ and CD8+ spleen cells in HIV-1-injected mice. These data indicate that immunocompetent mice can be used to investigate some HIV-1-related immune dysfunctions in vivo.

Type I interferon is a powerful inhibitor of in vivo HIV-1 infection and preserves human CD4(+) T cells from virus-induced depletion in SCID mice transplanted with human cells.

Although several studies are available on the in vitro inhibitory activities of type I interferon (IFN) on HIV-1 replication, the role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of AIDS is still matter of conjecture. Both beneficial and adverse effects have been envisaged and considered as a possible rationale for the development of either IFN or anti-IFN therapies in HIV-1-infected patients. In the present study, we have evaluated the efficacy of human type I IFN on HIV-1 infection and virus-induced depletion of human CD4 T cells in two models established in SCID mice. In SCID mice transplanted with human U937 cells (U937-SCID mouse model), continuous treatment with type I consensus IFN (CIFN) resulted in a total suppression of HIV-1 infection. This inhibitory effect was superior to that obtained after AZT treatments. Results from an ensemble of experiments in SCID mice transplanted with either control or genetically modified human U937 cells transduced with a Tat-inducible IFN-alpha gene (LTR-IFN-A2 U937) indicated that low levels of IFN-alpha, produced locally as a result of virus infection, were extremely effective in inhibiting acute HIV infection and virus replication. Of interest, LTR-IFN-A2 U937 cells conferred a strong anti-HIV-1 protection to coinjected bystander U937 cells. Notably, experiments with SCID mice reconstituted with human PBL (hu-PBL-SCID mouse model) showed that treatment with CIFN inhibited HIV-1 replication more effectively than AZT treatment. Remarkably, treatment with CIFN resulted in a clear-cut protection from the virus-induced depletion of human CD4 T cells, which was also associated with the generation of an antibody response toward HIV-1 antigens in 50% of the virus-injected xenografts. These results suggest that type I IFN efficiently preserves human CD4(+) cells from virus-induced damage in hu-PBL-SCID mice, not only by inducing an antiviral state in target cells but also by stimulating anti-HIV-1 human immune responses in vivo.