Rolipram, a specific type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor, is a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 replication.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of rolipram, a specific type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor, on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production and HIV-1 replication. DESIGN: TNF-alpha enhances HIV-1 replication in vitro; blocking TNF-alpha and thereby inhibiting HIV-1 replication may therefore potentially delay progression of HIV disease. Pentoxifylline is a non-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor that blocks TNF-alpha synthesis and HIV-1 replication in vitro and has been shown in preliminary clinical studies to decrease viral replication in HIV-1-infected patients. Rolipram, which selectively inhibits the predominant phosphodiesterase isoenzyme of monocytes, inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-alpha with 500-fold greater potency than pentoxifylline. We, therefore, hypothesized that rolipram would be a powerful inhibitor of HIV-1 replication. METHODS: The effects of rolipram and pentoxifylline on TNF-alpha production and HIV-1 replication were determined in infected and uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), in a chronically infected promonocytic cell line (U1) and in an acutely infected monocytic cell line (BT4A3.5). TNF-alpha was determined by specific radioimmunoassay and HIV-1 replication was measured by p24 antigen and HIV-1 mRNA production. RESULTS: Rolipram inhibited TNF-alpha production in LPS- and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated PBMC and in PMA-stimulated U1 cells. Rolipram also inhibited HIV-1 replication in the U1 cell line, as well as in acutely infected PBMC and BT4A3.5 cells. Depending on the experimental conditions, rolipram was 10-600 times more potent, on a molar basis, than pentoxifylline. CONCLUSION: Rolipram is a potent inhibitor HIV-1 replication and therefore deserves further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of HIV-1-infected patients.

Interleukin-10 enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 expression in a chronically infected promonocytic cell line (U1) by a tumor necrosis factor alpha-independent mechanism.

TNF-alpha enhances HIV-1 replication in acutely and chronically infected cells and likely contributes to the wasting associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Agents that inhibit TNF-alpha activity should theoretically delay the progression of disease, and several are currently in clinical trials. We hypothesized that IL-10, a cytokine that suppresses the gene expression and synthesis of TNF-alpha in monocytic cells, might inhibit HIV-1 replication. As expected, IL-10 suppressed PMA-induced TNF-alpha production in U1 cells; however, when U1 cells were cultured in the presence of PMA and increasing doses of IL-10, a dose-dependent increase in HIV-1 expression was observed. IL-10 also enhanced IL-1 beta-, TNF-alpha-, and GM-CSF-induced HIV-1 expression in U1 cells, and this occurred, at least in part, at the level of transcription. We next stimulated cells under conditions of TNF-alpha blockade. When PMA-induced TNF-alpha activity and HIV-1 replication were blocked by the presence of soluble TNF receptors, IL-10 independently enhanced HIV-1 replication. In contrast, other agents that are capable of blocking TNF-alpha synthesis or TNF-alpha activity either had no effect (IL-13 and IL-4) or inhibited HIV-1 expression (soluble TNF receptors and pentoxifylline) in U1 cells. These data suggest that IL-10, while inhibiting TNF-alpha synthesis, has an independent mechanism of action that enhances HIV-1 replication. Therefore, IL-10 may have undesirable effects in HIV-1-infected patients.

The Ada protein acts as both a positive and a negative modulator of Escherichia coli's response to methylating agents.

The adaptive response of Escherichia coli protects the cells against the toxic and mutagenic effects of certain alkylating agents. The major effector molecule regulating this response is the 39-kDa Ada protein, which functions as both a DNA repair protein and a transcriptional activator. Ada removes methyl groups from phosphotriester and O6-methylguanine lesions in DNA, irreversibly transferring them to cysteine residues at positions 69 and 321, respectively. When methylated at Cys-69, Ada is converted into a potent activator of ada and alkA transcription and binds to a sequence (Ada box) present in both promoters. We have found that physiologically relevant higher concentrations of unmethylated Ada are able to inhibit the activation of ada transcription by methylated Ada, both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the same concentrations of unmethylated Ada do not inhibit the activation of alkA transcription by methylated Ada, either in vitro or in vivo. Deletion of the carboxyl-terminal 67 amino acids of Ada abolished the ability of the unmethylated form of the protein to inhibit activation of ada transcription but not the ability of the methylated form to activate ada or alkA transcription. Our results suggest that the Ada protein plays a pivotal role in the negative modulation of its own synthesis and therefore in the down-regulation of the adaptive response. Elements present in the carboxyl terminus of Ada appear to be necessary for this negative regulatory function.

Alteration of lysine 178 in the hinge region of the Escherichia coli ada protein interferes with activation of ada, but not alkA, transcription.

The ada gene of Escherichia coli K-12 encodes the 39-kDa Ada protein, which consists of two domains joined by a hinge region that is sensitive to proteolytic cleavage in vitro. The amino-terminal domain has a DNA methyltransferase activity that repairs the S-diastereoisomer of methylphosphotriesters while the carboxyl-terminal domain has a DNA methyltransferase activity that repairs O6-methylguanine and O4-methylthymine lesions. Transfer of a methyl group to Cys-69 by repair of a methylphosphotriester lesion converts Ada into a transcriptional activator of the ada and alkA genes. Activation of ada, but not alkA, requires elements contained within the carboxyl-terminal domain of Ada. In addition, physiologically relevant concentrations of the unmethylated form of Ada specifically inhibit methylated Ada-promoted ada transcription both in vitro and in vivo and it has been suggested that this phenomenon plays a pivotal role in the down-regulation of the adaptive response. A set of site-directed mutations were generated within the hinge region, changing the lysine residue at position 178 to leucine, valine, glycine, tyrosine, arginine, cysteine, proline, and serine. All eight mutant proteins have deficiencies in their ability to activate ada transcription in the presence or absence of a methylating agent but are proficient in alkA activation. AdaK178P (lysine 178 changed to proline) is completely defective for the transcriptional activation function of ada while it is completely proficient for transcriptional activation of alkA. In addition, AdaK178P possesses both classes of DNA repair activities both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptional activation of ada does not occur if both the amino- and carboxyl-terminal domains are produced separately within the same cell. The mutation at position 178 might interfere with activation of ada transcription by changing a critical contact with RNA polymerase, by causing a conformational change of Ada, or by interfering with the communication of conformational information between the amino- and the carboxyl-terminal domains. These results indicate that the hinge region of Ada is important for ada but not alkA transcription and further support the notion that the mechanism(s) by which Ada activates ada transcription differs from that by which it activates transcription at alkA.

Interleukin 1 induces HIV-1 expression in chronically infected U1 cells: blockade by interleukin 1 receptor antagonist and tumor necrosis factor binding protein type 1.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines and cytokine antagonists modulate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication in vitro and may be involved in HIV disease pathogenesis. An understanding of these cytokine networks may suggest novel treatment strategies for HIV-seropositive persons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: U1 cells, a chronically infected promonocytic cell line, were stimulated with interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) for 24 hr. The effects of these cytokines, and of anti-IL-1 receptor type 1 and type 2 (IL-1RI and II) antibody, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and recombinant human TNF binding protein type 1 (rhTBP-1, a form of TNF receptor p55), on HIV-1 replication, as measured by ELISA for HIV-1 p24 antigen, were determined. The effects of IL-1 and IL-1Ra on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) DNA binding activity, as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, were also determined. RESULTS: IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta increased p24 antigen production in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-1Ra completely, and rhTBP-1 partially, suppressed IL-1-induced p24 antigen production. IL-1 increased NF-kappa B DNA binding activity and IL-1Ra blocked this effect. Since IL-1Ra blocks IL-1 from binding to both the IL-1RI and Il-1RII, monoclonal antibodies directed against each receptor were used to ascertain which IL-1R mediates IL-1-induced HIV-1 expression. Antibody to the IL-1RI reduced IL-1-induced p24 antigen production. Although anti-IL-1RII antibody blocked the binding of 125IL-1-1 alpha to U1 cells by 99%, this antibody did not affect IL-1-induced p24 antigen production. IL-1 beta enhanced TNF alpha-induced HIV expression when added before or simultaneously with TNF alpha. CONCLUSIONS: IL-1 induces HIV-1 expression (via the IL-1RI) and NF-kappa B activity in U1 cells. These effects are blocked by IL-1Ra and partially mediated by TNF. IL-1 enhances TNF alpha-induced HIV replication in U1 cells.

Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors inhibit phorbol myristate acetate and cytokine-induced HIV-1 expression chronically infected U1 cells.

Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding protein-1 (r-h TBP-1) and recombinant human soluble dimeric TNF receptor (rhu TNFR:Fc) were used to determine the relative contributions of TNF to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and cytokine-induced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in chronically infected cell lines. Treatment of HIV-1-infected promonocytic U1 cells with r-h-TBP-1 or rhu TNFR:Fc reduced PMA-induced HIV-1 p24 antigen production in a concentration-dependent manner, with a maximal inhibition of approximately 90%. Maximal inhibition of p24 antigen production in T-lymphocytic ACH-2 cells was 47% with r-hTBP-1 and 42% with rhu TNFR:Fc. r-hTBP-1 and rhu TNFR:Fc also decreased p24 antigen synthesized by U1 cells in response to other stimuli, including phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced supernatant, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-6, and TNF. Addition of r-hTBP-1 to U1 cells during the last 4 h of a 24 h incubation with PMA still inhibited p24 antigen production by 15%. U1 cells stimulated with 10(-7) M PMA released approximately 1 ng/ml endogenous TBP-1 with an initial peak observed at 1 h and a second peak at 24 h after PMA stimulation. r-hTBP-1 also partially reversed inhibition of U1 cellular proliferation caused by PMA. Both r-hTBP-1 and rhu TNFR:Fc blocked PMA induction of nuclear factor (NK)- kappa B DNA-binding activity in U1 cells in association with decreases in HIV-1 replication. We conclude that soluble TNF receptors can inhibit stimuli-induced HIV-1 expression and NK- kappa B DNA-binding activity in chronically infected U1 cells.