Sulfonic acid polymers as a new class of human immunodeficiency virus inhibitors.

Four sulfonic acid polymers [poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid)(PSS), poly(anetholesulfonic acid)(PAS), poly(vinylsulfonic acid)(PVS), poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)(PAMPS)] have been found to inhibit the cytopathicity of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in MT-4 cells at concentrations that are not toxic to the host cells. The sulfonic acid polymers also inhibited syncytium formation in co-cultures of MOLT-4 cells with HIV-1- or HIV-2-infected HUT-78 cells. They also inhibited binding of anti-gp120 mAb to HIV-1 gp120 and blocked adsorption of HIV-1 virions to MT-4 cells. PSS and PAS, but not PVS and PAMPS, interfered with the binding of OKT4A/Leu3a to the CD4 receptor. The anti-HIV activity of these polyanionic compounds can be ascribed to inhibition of the gp120-CD4 interaction. Sulfonic acid polymers represent a lead of anti-HIV compounds that warrant further evaluation of their therapeutic potential.

Sensitive, reproducible and convenient fluorometric assay for the in vitro evaluation of anti-cytomegalovirus agents.

Fluorescein diacetate (FDA), a non-fluorescent diacetyl fluorescein ester that becomes fluorescent upon hydrolysis by cytoplasmic esterases, permitted the easy distinction by fluorometry between non-infected and human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-infected HEL cell cultures. As a result of enhanced cytoplasmic esterase activity after CMV infection, FDA-derived fluorescence intensity was brighter for infected than non-infected HEL cells. A similar increase in fluorescence intensity was observed after loading the cells with Indo-1/AM, a non-fluorescent ester of Indo-1 that becomes fluorescent upon cleavage by cytoplasmic esterases. The 50% effective concentrations of a number of anti-CMV agents as determined by the fluorometric assay were very similar to those obtained by the conventional and more time-consuming microscopic evaluation. The fluorometric assay appears very suitable for an automated evaluation of anti-CMV compounds, and also allows rapid determination of the cytotoxicity of potential antiviral compounds.

Flow cytometric method to monitor the destruction of CD4+ cells following their fusion with HIV-infected cells.

Syncytium formation between HUT-78 cells persistently infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and uninfected CD4-bearing MOLT-4 or CEM cells results in a rapid destruction of the MOLT-4 or CEM cells. This syncytium formation is due to the interaction between the gp120 glycoprotein expressed by the persistently HIV-1-infected HUT-78 cells and the CD4 receptor present on MOLT-4 or CEM cells. A flow cytometric method has been applied to separate the infected (HUT-78) from the uninfected (MOLT-4, CEM) cell populations. This method is based on a modified DNA staining protocol which clearly shows the differences in DNA content between HUT-78 cells, on the one hand, and MOLT-4 or CEM cells, on the other hand. Using this flow cytometric method we have demonstrated that those compounds (i.e., sulfated polysaccharides, aurintricarboxylic acid) that interact with gp120 (of the HIV-infected cells) or CD4 (of the uninfected cells) suppress syncytium formation and concomitant destruction of the CD4+ cells.

Sulfated polymers inhibit the interaction of human cytomegalovirus with cell surface heparan sulfate.

Several sulfated polysaccharides (dextran sulfate, pentosan polysulfate, heparin) and copolymers of acrylic acid with vinylalcohol sulfate have proved to be potent inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infectivity in vitro. Sulfated alpha-cyclodextrins are only weak inhibitors of CMV. A close correlation was found between the 50% inhibitory concentrations of the sulfated polymers for CMV cytopathogenicity, virus-cell binding, and expression of immediate early antigens (IEA) in human embryonic lung (HEL) cells. CMV particles bound specifically to heparin-Sepharose. Sulfated polymers specifically eluted the virus particles from this matrix. Enzymatic digestion of cell surface heparan sulfate, but not of chondroitin sulfate, prevented the cells from being infected with CMV. Moreover, radiolabeled CMV bound efficiently to, and were infective for wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, whereas virus binding to, and infection of, mutant CHO cell lines that were deficient in either all glycosaminoglycans or heparan sulfate only was significantly impaired. The mechanism of action of the sulfated polymers can be attributed to an inhibitory effect on the binding of CMV particles to the host cells. Presumably, the sulfated polymers interact with the viral envelope site(s) involved in the attachment of the CMV virions to cell surface heparan sulfate.

Novel sulfated polymers as highly potent and selective inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus replication and giant cell formation.

Novel synthetic sulfated polymers, namely, sulfated polyvinyl alcohol (PVAS) and sulfated copolymers of acrylic acid with vinyl alcohol (PAVAS), proved to be potent and selective inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 in vitro. The compounds completely inhibited HIV-1-induced cytopathogenicity in MT-4 cells and HIV-1 antigen expression in CEM cells at a concentration of 0.8 micrograms/ml. They were equally effective against HIV-2 replication. In addition, and in contrast to azidothymidine, PAVAS and PVAS suppressed HIV-1-induced giant cell (syncytium) formation, a process that may account for the depletion of T4 lymphocytes in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. PAVAS and PVAS completely blocked giant cell formation at a concentration of 4 micrograms/ml, whereas for dextran sulfate a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml was required to achieve complete inhibition of giant cell formation. As has been demonstrated previously for the sulfated polysaccharides, the mechanism of action of PAVAS and PVAS resides in the inhibition of virus adsorption to the cells.

Polyanionic (i.e., polysulfonate) dendrimers can inhibit the replication of human immunodeficiency virus by interfering with both virus adsorption and later steps (reverse transcriptase/integrase) in the virus replicative cycle.

Polyanionic dendrimers were synthesized and evaluated for their antiviral effects. Phenyldicarboxylic acid (BRI6195) and naphthyldisulfonic acid (BRI2923) dendrimers were found to inhibit the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1; strain III(B)) in MT-4 cells at a EC(50) of 0.1 and 0.3 microg/ml, respectively. The dendrimers were not toxic to MT-4 cells up to the highest concentrations tested (250 microg/ml). These compounds were also effective against various other HIV-1 strains, including clinical isolates, HIV-2 strains, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV, strain MAC(251)), and HIV-1 strains that were resistant to reverse transcriptase inhibitors. HIV strains containing mutations in the envelope glycoprotein gp120 (engendering resistance to known adsorption inhibitors) displayed reduced sensitivity to the dendrimers. The compounds inhibited the binding of wild-type virus and recombinant virus (containing wild-type gp120) to MT-4 cells at concentrations comparable to those that inhibited the replication of HIV-1(III(B)) in these cells. Cellular uptake studies indicated that BRI2923, but not BRI6195, permeates into MT-4 and CEM cells. Accordingly, the naphtyldisulfonic acid dendrimer (BRI2923) proved able to inhibit later steps of the replication cycle of HIV, i.e., reverse transcriptase and integrase. NL4.3 strains resistant to BRI2923 were selected after passage of the virus in the presence of increasing concentrations of BRI2923. The virus mutants showed 15-fold reduced sensitivity to BRI2923 and cross-resistance to known adsorption inhibitors. However, these virus mutants were not cross-resistant to reverse transcriptase inhibitors or protease inhibitors. We identified several mutations in the envelope glycoprotein gp120 gene (i.e., V2, V3, and C3, V4, and C4 regions) of the BRI2923-resistant NL4.3 strains that were not present in the wild-type NL4.3 strain, whereas no mutations were found in the reverse transcriptase or integrase genes.