Infectious SIV resides in adipose tissue and induces metabolic defects in chronically infected rhesus macaques.

BACKGROUND: HIV reservoirs pose major challenges to viral eradication. The main cellular reservoirs include CD4 T cells and macrophages, whereas anatomic reservoirs are thought to be primarily lymphoid tissues. Adipose tissue represents a potentially important non-lymphoid location for HIV replication and persistence because the stromal-vascular-fraction (AT-SVF) contains activated innate and adaptive immune cells that increase in number during infections, obesity, and chronic inflammation. RESULTS: Adipose tissue from two groups of SHIV-SF162p3-infected (~4 weeks acute infection) or SIVmac251-infected (~38 weeks chronic infection) rhesus macaques (N = 8 for each group) were studied for immune cell content, viral infectiousness, and metabolic health. The AT-SVF cells from SHIV-infected monkeys contained abundant memory CD4 and CD8 T cells, with fewer NKT cells and macrophages, and no B cells. Proviral DNA (Gag and Env) was readily detectable by nested PCR in AT-SVF cells from multiple adipose depots (subcutaneous and visceral) of acutely infected monkeys, but mostly from visceral fat. More importantly, viral outgrowth assays using input CD4 T cells derived from AT-SVF cells or peripheral blood of chronically infected monkeys resulted in robust replication of infectious virus from both AT-SVF and peripheral blood CD4 T cells. Chronically infected monkeys also experienced adipocyte dysfunction (suppression of major adipogenic genes) and systemic dyslipidemia (decreased serum total cholesterol and free fatty acids, and increased triglycerides), similar to metabolic abnormalities of HIV patients. CONCLUSIONS: Adipose tissues of SIV-infected rhesus macaques become major compartments for infected immune cells, which in turn induce defects in adipose tissue metabolism.

Efficacy of oleandrin and PBI-05204 against bovine viruses of importance to commercial cattle health.

BACKGROUND: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). and bovine coronavirus (BCV) threaten the productivity of cattle worldwide. Development of therapeutics that can control the spread of these viruses is an unmet need. The present research was designed to explore the in vitro antiviral activity of the Nerium oleander derived cardiac glycoside oleandrin and a defined N. oleander plant extract (PBI-05204) containing oleandrin. METHODS: Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cells, Bovine Turbinate (BT) cells, and Human Rectal Tumor-18 (HRT-18) cells were used as in vitro culture systems for BVDV, BRSV and BCV, respectively. Cytotoxicity was established using serial dilutions of oleandrin or PBI-05204. Noncytotoxic concentrations of each drug were used either prior to or at 12 h and 24 h following virus exposure to corresponding viruses. Infectious virus titers were determined following each treatment. RESULTS: Both oleandrin as well as PBI-05204 demonstrated strong antiviral activity against BVDV, BRSV, and BCV, in a dose-dependent manner, when added prior to or following infection of host cells. Determination of viral loads by PCR demonstrated a concentration dependent decline in virus replication. Importantly, the relative ability of virus produced from treated cultures to infect new host cells was reduced by as much as 10,000-fold at noncytotoxic concentrations of oleandrin or PBI-05204. CONCLUSIONS: The research demonstrates the potency of oleandrin and PBI-05204 to inhibit infectivity of three important enveloped bovine viruses in vitro. These data showing non-toxic concentrations of oleandrin inhibiting infectivity of three bovine viruses support further investigation of in vivo antiviral efficacy.

Critical role of Arg59 in the high-affinity gp120-binding region of CD4 for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is initiated by the binding of the viral envelope protein gp120 to the host cell CD4 receptor through a high-affinity interaction involving amino acids 39-60 within the CD4. We obtained evidence demonstrating functional importance of this region in CD4 for viral infectivity by showing that a synthetic peptide corresponding to this CD4 sequence exhibited competitive binding to gp120 and significantly reduced infection by diverse HIV-1 strains, including primary isolates. Treatment of HIV-1-infected cells with this CD4 peptide induced shedding of gp120 and exposure of the transmembrane protein gp41. Furthermore, we observed that deletion or substitution of arginine at position 59 (Arg(59)) within the CD4 peptide sequence abrogated its gp120-shedding property. These results indicate a critical role for Arg(59) in the CD4 for conformational changes in gp120 during the sequential process of entry and infection by HIV-1.