Effect Of Azido-3'-deoxythymidine Research Articles

Revitalizing the AZT Through of the Selenium: An Approach in Human Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line.

Triple-negative breast cancer represents about 15% of all cases of breast cancer, and still represents a therapeutic challenge. 3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with antitumor activity. Chalcogenides compounds, such as selenium, are very important intermediates applied in organic synthesis. Our objective was to investigate the effect and the underlying cell death mechanisms of AZT and its derivatives, in human breast cancer cell lines. The inhibitory effect of AZT and derivatives (1072, 1073, and 1079) was determined by MTT assay (0.1, 1, 10, 50, and 100 μM for concentrations and times 4, 24, 48, and 72 h) and Live/Dead in tumor cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB 231 and also in non-tumor cell line CHO. Gene expression profiles related to apoptosis were investigated by qRT-PCR and induction of apoptosis was investigated by flow cytometry. MTT and Live/Dead assays showed that AZT derivatives decreased the rate of cell proliferation at concentrations of 50 and 100 μM in tumor cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 while the commercial AZT presented a low antitumoral potential in all strains tested. In flow cytometry analysis we demonstrated that derivatives of AZT induced apoptosis, with an increase in both initial and late stages in both tumor cell lines evaluated, especially in MDA-MB 231. Our data show that the AZT derivative 1072 increased the expression of transcripts of the genes caspase 3 and 8 in MDA-MB 231 cell line when compared to control, suggesting that the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis was activated. In conclusion, derivatives of AZT, especially 1072, induce cytotoxicity in vitro in the triple negative breast cancer cell line through activation of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. These compounds containing selenium in its formulation are potential therapeutic agents for breast cancer.

Influence of quinacrine and chloroquine on the in vitro 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine antiretroviral effect.

BackgroundAntimalarials quinacrine (Qc) and chloroquine (Cq) intercalate DNA, potentiate the activity of other drugs and have lysosomotropic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities that could increase the effect of the 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) antiretroviral agent. The aim of the current study was to evaluate if Qc and Cq could improve the in vitro effect of the antiretroviral AZT agent.FindingsInhibition of viral replication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)SF33-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with Qc or Cq, alone or combined with a low dose of AZT was measured. Viral replication increased with Qc and decreased with high doses of Cq. The increase of replication caused by Qc was reversed by AZT. Neither Qc nor Cq significantly changed the antiviral activity of AZT.ConclusionCq does not potentiate the effect of AZT, but it is effective by itself at high doses. The rise of HIV replication by Qc could be deleterious in HIV endemic regions, where it is used as antimalarial. The mechanisms associated to this phenomenon must be identified.

AZT and emodin exhibit synergistic growth-inhibitory effects on K562/ADM cells by inducing S phase cell cycle arrest and suppressing MDR1 mRNA/p-gp protein expression

Context: Previous studies have demonstrated that both 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) and emodin, a traditional chemotherapy agent, can inhibit the growth of many types of cancer cells.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of AZT and emodin on adriamycin-resistant human chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562/ADM) cells, determine the expression of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) mRNA/p-glycoprotein (p-gp) protein, a protein known to induce resistance to anticancer agents, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.Materials and methods: K562/ADM cells were treated with AZT (10–160 μM) or emodin (5–80 μM) for 24, 48 and 72 h and cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. The effect of AZT (16.5, 33 and 66 μM) and emodin (6.1, 17.6 and 33.2 μM) on K562/ADM cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry, and MDR1 mRNA/p-gp protein expression was determined by real time RT-PCR and western blotting.Results: The growth suppression of emodin was dramatically enhanced by AZT in K562/ADM cells. The IC50 of AZT and emodin was lower than that of emodin alone. All examined combinations of AZT and emodin yielded a synergetic effect (CI < 1). Furthermore, AZT and emodin altered the cell cycle distribution and led to an accumulation of cells in S phase. Meanwhile, the expression of MDR1 mRNA/p-gp protein was markedly decreased.Discussion and conclusion: These results show a synergistic growth-inhibitory effect of AZT and emodin in K562/ADM cells, which is achieved through S phase arrest. MDR1 might ultimately be responsible for these phenomena.

Effect of AZT on thymidine phosphorylation in cultured H9c2, U-937, and Raji cell lines

3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of thymidine kinase 2 in work from this laboratory. Inhibition results in decreased salvage of thymidine to TTP, which may lead to depletion of the TTP pool and result in the mitochondrial dysfunction and mt-DNA depletion observed with AZT toxicity. The effect of AZT on thymidine phosphorylation in growing cells expressing thymidine kinase 1 has not been shown. Three cell lines were used in these experiments: H9c2, derived from rat cardiomyoblasts; U-937, derived from human monocytes; and Raji, derived from human lymphoblasts. AZT inhibited growth in a concentration-dependent manner in U-937 cells, but not the other cell lines. The phosphorylation of [ 3H]-thymidine or [ 3H]-AZT was determined during log growth. All cell lines salvaged and phosphorylated thymidine to TTP, with TTP the major product. The U-937 cells had a much more active salvage pathway than the other cells. All cell lines phosphorylated AZT to the triphosphate, but the major product was AZTMP. The AZT inhibition of growth of the U-937 cells did not correlate with levels of the phosphorylated AZT. In contrast, pro-drug AZT was shown to inhibit thymidine phosphorylation in all lines with 50% inhibition concentrations (IC 50) ranging from 4.4 to 21.9 μM. Since the U-937 cells expressed higher activity of the salvage pathway than the other cell lines, the U-937 cells may rely more heavily on the salvage pathway for TTP synthesis, accounting for AZT inhibition of growth.

Effects of AZT and RNA-protein complex (FA-2-b-β) extracted from Liang Jin mushroom on apoptosis of gastric cancer cells

To investigate the synergistic effects of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and FA-2-b-beta extracted from Ling Jin mushroom on apoptosis of gastric cancer cells MKN45 in vitro. MTT analysis was made to examine the inhibition rate of MKN45 cells treated with AZT (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg/L) and FA-2-b-beta (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/L) singly and combinatively for 24, 48 and 72 h. Apoptotic effects were evaluated by morphological methods, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry, respectively. Telomerase activity was estimated by TRAP-ELISA. The mRNA expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were detected by RT-PCR. AZT and FA-2-b-beta could significantly inhibit MKN45 cell proliferation and induce its apoptosis. MKN45 cells were inhibited in dose- and time- dependent manner. The inhibition effect of AZT combined with FA-2-b-beta was obviously better than that used singly (0.469 +/- 0.022 vs 1.075 +/- 0.055, P < 0.05, 0.325 +/- 0.029 vs 0.469 +/- 0.022 P < 0.01). AZT used singly and combination of FA-2-b-beta could decrease the activity of tumor cell telomerase, and AZT has synergistic function with FA-2-b-beta. A certain concentration of AZT could up-regulate the expression of caspase-3 mRNA (r = 0.9969, P < 0.01), which was positively related to apoptosis rate, and could down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA, which was negatively related to apoptosis rate (r = 0.926, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the effect of AZT combined with FA-2-b-beta was significantly higher than that used singly. Combination of AZT and FA-2-b-beta has an obviously synergetic effect in the gastric cancer cells MKN45, which has provided a new approach to the treatment of gastric cancer clinically.

Selective Excision of Chain-terminating Nucleotides by HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase with Phosphonoformate as Substrate

A major mechanism for human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) resistance to nucleoside analogs involves the phosphorolytical removal of the chain-terminating nucleotide from the 3'-end of the primer. In this work, we analyzed the effect of phosphonoformate (PFA) and other pyrophosphate (PP(i)) analogs on PP(i)- and ATP-dependent phosphorolysis catalyzed by HIV-1 RT. Our experimental data demonstrated that PFA did not behave as a linear inhibitor but as an alternative substrate, allowing RT to remove AZT from a terminated primer through a PFA-dependent mechanism. Interestingly, in non-terminated primers, PFA was not a substrate for this reaction and competitively inhibited PP(i)- and ATP-dependent phosphorolysis. In fact, binding of PFA to the RT.template/primer complex was hindered by the presence of a chain terminator at the 3'-end of the primer. Other pyrophosphate analogs, such as phosphonoacetate, were substrates for the excision reaction with both terminated and nonterminated primers, whereas pamidronate, a bisphosphonate that prevents bone resorption, was not a substrate for these reactions and competitively inhibited the phosphorolytic activity of RT. As expected from their mechanisms of action, pamidronate (but not PFA) synergistically inhibits HIV-1 RT in combination with AZT-triphosphate in the presence of PP(i) or ATP. These results provide new clues about the mechanism of action of PFA and demonstrate that only certain pyrophosphate analogs can enhance the effect of nucleosidic inhibitors by blocking the excision of chain-terminating nucleotides catalyzed by HIV-1 RT. The relevance of these findings in combined chemotherapy is discussed.

3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) induces apoptosis and alters metabolic enzyme activity in human placenta

The anti-HIV drug 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) is the drug of choice for preventing maternal–fetal HIV transmission during pregnancy. Our aim was to assess the cytotoxic effects of AZT on human placenta in vitro. The mechanisms of AZT-induced effects were investigated using JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells and primary explant cultures from term and first-trimester human placentas. Cytotoxicity measures included trypan blue exclusion, MTT, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. Apoptosis was measured with an antibody specific to cleaved caspase-3 and by rescue of cells by the general caspase inhibitor Boc-D-FMK. The effect of AZT on the activities of glutathione- S-transferase, β-glucuronidase, UDP-glucuronosyl transferase, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A, and CYP reductase (CYPR) in the placenta was assessed using biochemical assays and immunoblotting. AZT increased ROS levels, decreased cellular proliferation rates, was toxic to mitochondria, and initiated cell death by a caspase-dependent mechanism in the human placenta in vitro. In the absence of serum, the effects of AZT were amplified in all the models used. AZT also increased the amounts of activity of GST, β-glucuronidase, and CYP1A, whereas UGT and CYPR were decreased. We conclude that AZT causes apoptosis in the placenta and alters metabolizing enzymes in human placental cells. These findings have implications for the safe administration of AZT in pregnancy with respect to the maintenance of integrity of the maternal–fetal barrier.

3′-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine reduces the rate of transferrin receptor endocytosis in K562 cells

K562 cells, exposed for at least 24 h to 5 μM 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT), gave rise to an overall increase in the number of cell surface transferrin binding receptors (18–20%). This effect was ascertained either with binding experiments by using 125I-transferrin and with immunoprecipitation by using a specific monoclonal antibody against the transferrin receptor. At higher AZT concentrations (20 and 40 μM), a further increase was found, that is, up to 23% by binding experiments and up to 110% by immunoprecipitation. However, Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated that although the number of cell surface transferrin receptors increased, the affinity of transferrin for its receptor did not change ( K a=4.0×10 8 M). Surprisingly, immunoprecipitation of total receptor molecules showed that the synthesis of receptor was not enhanced by the drug treatment. The effect of AZT on transferrin internalization and receptor recycling was also investigated. In this case, data indicated that the increase in the number of receptors at the cell surface was probably due to a slowing down of endocytosis rate rather than to an increased recycling rate of the receptor to cell surface. In fact, the time during which half the saturated amount of transferrin had been endocytosed ( t 1/2) was 2.15 min for control cells and 3.41, 3.04, and 3.74 min for 5, 20, and 40 μM AZT-treated cells, respectively. Conversely, recycling experiments did not show any significant differences between control and treated cells. A likely mechanism through which AZT could interfere with the transferrin receptor trafficking, together with the relevance of our findings, is extensively discussed.

AZT inhibits the transmission of human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I to adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro.

The effect of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) on in vitro infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from normal adult individuals with human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) was evaluated. Different PBMC samples were exposed to HTLV-I by cocultivation with MT-2 (a chronically infected cell line) in the presence of 20 U/ml of human recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) and graded concentrations of AZT. Control and drug-treated cultures, of both infected and uninfected PBMCs, were then grown for several weeks and monitored for virological and immunological parameters. The results showed a concentration-dependent anti-proliferative effect of AZT in both infected and non-infected cultures. Production of both proviral DNA and viral RNA was inhibited not only at the higher concentrations of AZT (8 microM and 32 microM) but also at concentrations as low as 0.1-2 microM. These results were confirmed by PCR and by flow cytometry analysis for the viral core protein p19. Moreover, treatment with AZT resulted in a decreased expression of CD25 in cultures exposed to HTLV-I as well as in non-infected PBMCs. On the other hand, HLA-DR was down-regulated to a greater extent in drug-treated, virus-exposed cultures in comparison with those not infected. No evidence of the antiviral activity of AZT was observed in PBMC cultures already infected by HTLV-I or in MT-2 cells. These findings demonstrate that treatment with AZT, when given at the time of infection with HTLV-I, has a marked protective effect on PBMCs.

CYTOKINE-INDUCED EXPRESSION OF CD1b MOLECULES BY PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONOCYTES: INFLUENCE OF 3′-AZIDO-3′-DEOXYTHYMIDINE

CD1b is a nonpolymorphic, MHC-like molecule, capable of presenting non-peptide antigens (Ags) to CD3+, CD4−, CD8−,αβorgggdT lymphocytes. Previous studies have shown that CD1b can be induced in monocytes/macrophages by GM-CSF+IL-4, and can restrict their presentation ofMycobacterium tuberculosisantigen (Ag) to Ag-specific T cells. Since a number of HIV-positive subjects undergo mycobacterial infections, preliminary studies have been performed to explore whether anti-HIV chemotherapy would influence cytokine-induced CD1b expression in peripheral blood monocytes. The results obtained by treating monocytes with GM-CSF+IL-4, in presence or absence of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) showed that: (a) the majority of adherent mononuclear cells (AMNC) collected from peripheral blood of healthy donors, express CD1b molecule on the cell membrane, upon treatment with GM-CSF+IL-4; (b) CD1b appearance is mainly due to thede novoinduction ofCD1bgene expression (as confirmed by Northern blot analysis), rather than to migration of the molecule from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane (as suggested by Western blot analysis); (c) AZT does not alter the percentage of CD1b+AMNC treated with the cytokines; (d) however, AZT inhibits cytokine-induced proliferation of AMNC, thus reducing the overall Ag-presenting potential of the host. Our results suggest that the anti-proliferative effect of AZT could depress anti-mycobacteria immunity in AZT-treated subjects, which may have important implication for the clinical outcome of patients harbouring inadequately treated mycobacterial infections.

Cytotoxicity of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine correlates with 3′-azidothymidine-5′-monophosphate (AZTMP) levels, whereas antihuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity correlates with 3′-azidothymidine-5′-triphosphate (AZTTP) levels in cultured CEM T-lymphoblastoid cells

Activation of the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compound 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) is dependent on its 5′-phosphorylation by cellular nucleoside and nucleotide kinases. Azidothymidine 5′-triphosphate (AZTTP) is considered to be the metabolite responsible for both the anti-HIV effect of AZT, via inhibition of reverse transcriptase, and cytoxicity by interference with cellular DNA polymerases. During the characterization of AZT metabolism in cultured human T-lymphoblastoid CEM cells, a spontaneously occurring variant cell line, CEM/Ag-1, was found that showed approximately 10-fold resistance to AZT growth inhibition as compared to wild type (wt) cells ( EC 50 = 2 mM as compared to 350 μM for wt cells). CEM/Ag-1 cells had a 3-fold reduced capacity to accumulate azidothymidine monophosphate (AZTMP) compared to wt cells whereas similar levels of AZTTP were found in both cell lines. The intracellular half-life of AZTMP was approximately 70 min in both wt and CEM/Ag-1 cells. A 3-fold lower specific activity of cytoplasmic thymidine kinase was observed in CEM/Ag-1 extracts as compared to wt. The reduced thymidine kinase activity was not correlated to a decreased level of thymidine kinase mRNA. Syncytium formation of CEM/Ag-1 cells infected with HIV-2 as well as HIV-1 antigen production was inhibited at the same concentrations of AZT (approx. 0.01 μM) as were HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected wt cells. Thus, minor decreases in cellular thymidine kinase levels may markedly affect the cytoxicity of AZT but have no major effect on the antiviral activity of AZT. Our results strongly suggest that AZTMP is responsible for a major part of the growth inhibitor effects, while AZTTP mainly mediates the antiviral activity of AZT.

3″-Azido-3′-Deoxythymidine and 2′,3′-Dideoxycytidine Do Not Inhibit Gene-Specific DNA Repair in Hamster Cells

3″-Azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) was the first approved drug for the treatment of the AIDS; however, despite its usefulness, AZT often produces side effects that require cessation of therapy. 2′,3′-Dideoxycytidine (ddC) is a related anti-retroviral agent in advanced stages of clinical testing. A previous report demonstrated that AZT decreased the repair of UV-induced DNA strand breaks in mammalian cells after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. We studied the effect of AZT and ddC on DNA repair from the hamster DHFR gene of the major UV-induced DNA lesion, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). We conclude that neither AZT nor ddC inhibited DNA replication or the gene-specific repair of CPDs in the hamster DHFR gene after 8 or 24 hrs of repair incubation at concentrations of 25μM and 10μM, respectively.

Mechanisms of toxicity of 3′-azido-3′- deoxythymidine: Its interaction with adenylate kinase

Recent experiments from our laboratory have indicated that the inhibitory effect of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) on oxidative phosphorylation may occur directly, in addition to being brought about by its inhibition of mtDNA replication. We report here studies on the effect of AZT on adenylate kinase, an enzyme crucial to oxidative phosphorylation. AZT decreased the aromatic residues fluorescence of rabbit muscle adenylate kinase, indicating binding of AZT to the enzyme. Of three other enzymes studied as controls, AZT bound only to those that possessed ATP/ADP binding sites. Up to concentrations of 15 μM, AZT was a more potent effector of fluorescence quenching than were ATP, ADP, AMP and the AZT control, deoxythymidine. AZT strongly inhibited adenylate kinase in the direction of ATP synthesis ( K i , 8 μM), the inhibition being of the partial competitive type, whereas deoxythymidine inhibition, also partially competitive, was much weaker ( K i , 90 μM). When measured in the direction of ADP synthesis, AZT failed to demonstrate any inhibition at concentrations up to 10 μM. Experiments on isolated intact rat liver mitochondria with the enzyme activity measured in both directions confirmed the isolated enzyme results. Respiratory control by these mitochondria was not affected by AZT. The finding of AZT affinity for ATP/ADP binding sites may open new avenues of approach to the study of AZT toxicity.

Effects of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides on proliferation and differentiation of human pluripotent progenitors in liquid culture and their effects on mitochondrial DNA synthesis.

2',3'-Dideoxynucleosides (ddNs) including 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), 3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT), 3'-amino-3'-deoxythymidine (AMT), 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC), and 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine (D4T) were tested for their effects on proliferation and differentiation of pluripotent progenitor cells (CD34+) purified from human bone marrow cells grown in liquid cultures. These highly purified progenitor cells undergo extensive proliferation during 14 days, with a marked differentiation during the last 7 days. These differentiated cells exhibit normal morphological features in response to specific hematopoietic growth factors of both erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage lineages, as demonstrated by flow cytometry cell phenotyping. The potencies of these ddNs in inhibiting proliferation of granulocyte-macrophage lineage cells were in the order FLT > AMT = ddC > AZT >> D4T, and the potencies in inhibiting proliferation of erythroid lineage cultures were in the order FLT > AMT > AZT > ddC >> D4T. The toxic effects of ddNs assessed in these liquid cultures were in agreement with data obtained by using semisolid cultures, demonstrating the consistency of these two in vitro hematopoietic systems toward ddN toxicity. ddC was toxic to CD34+ progenitor cells and/or cells in the early stages of differentiation, whereas the inhibitory effect of AZT on the erythroid lineage was predominantly observed on a more mature population of erythroid progenitors during the differentiation process. Slot blot analysis of granulocyte-macrophage cultures demonstrated that exposure to ddC and FLT was associated with a decrease in total mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, suggesting that these two ddNs inhibit mtDNA synthesis. In contrast, no difference in the ratio of nuclear DNA to mtDNA was observed in cells exposed to toxic concentrations of AZT and AMT is not associated with an inhibition of mtDNA synthesis. This human pluripotent progenitor liquid culture system should permit detailed investigations of the cellular and molecular events involved in ddN-induced hematological toxicity.

Drug Combination of AZT and ddl: Synergism of Action and Prevention of Appearance of AZT-Resistance

Both 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) and 2′,3′-dideoxynosine (ddl) strongly inhibit the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here, it is shown that combination of AZT and ddl at concentrations that are readily achievable in vivo synergistically inhibit HIV-1 replication in C8166 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The synergism is significant even when the effect of AZT and ddl alone was negligible. Our findings show that AZT-resistance is less likely to occur when a combination of AZT and ddl is used. Particularly, generation of AZT-resistant strains by in vitro selection is prevented, or delayed, by the combination of AZT plus ddl. Taken together these observations provide a rationale for combination of AZT and ddl in the therapy of AIDS patients.

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of infant rhesus macaques as a model to test antiretroviral drug prophylaxis and therapy: oral 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine prevents SIV infection

The prophylactic and therapeutic properties of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection were tested in four 3-month-old rhesus macaques. The infant monkeys were inoculated intravenously with a low dose (1 to 10 100% animal infectious doses) of uncloned SIVmac. The monkeys were treated orally with 50 mg of AZT per kg of body weight every 8 h; two animals were started on treatment 2 h prior to virus inoculation, and two animals were started on treatment 6 weeks later. All four animals were treated for a period of 6 to 10 weeks. Outward signs of AZT toxicity were absent, but a mild macrocytic anemia occurred soon after therapy was started and resolved shortly after it was discontinued. The two infants that were begun on AZT treatment 2 h prior to virus inoculation never became infected, as demonstrated by the inability to detect cell-free or cell-associated virus in the blood, proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or anti-SIV antibodies. AZT administration over a 10-week period had no detectable effect on the course of disease in the two animals that were begun on treatment after the infection had been established. In addition to demonstrating the prophylactic effect of AZT against low-dose SIV exposure, the study demonstrated the ease with which infant rhesus macaques can be used for antiretroviral drug testing.

3'-Azido-3'-deoxythymidine-induced reduction in the ability of uninfected CD4-expressing cells to participate in syncytium formation.

A cocultivation assay system consisting of uninfected human T cells and cells chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 has been used to investigate syncytium formation in short-term assays. Continuous treatment or short-term pretreatment of uninfected CD4-expressing human T-cell lines with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) reduces the ability of these cells to participate in syncytium formation when mixed with chronically infected cells. The effect of AZT on syncytium formation is observed both as a reduction in the number of syncytia and as a reduction in the size of the syncytia that are detected. This syncytium-reducing effect of AZT is dose and time dependent and does not result from a modulation of CD4 antigen expression on the cell surface of uninfected, treated cells. Maximum syncytium reduction is observed with the continuous presence of AZT; however, pretreatment for times as short as 15 min results in a significant reduction in syncytium formation. Since reverse transcription is not required for efficient syncytium formation, the syncytium-reducing effect of AZT on uninfected human cells may represent an antiviral property of AZT with important therapeutic potential.

Effect of dipyridamole on transport and phosphorylation of thymidine and 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine in human monocyte/macrophages

Dipyridamole (DPM), a commonly used coronary vasodilator and antithrombotic drug, was shown recently to potentiate the antiviral effect of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) in HIV-1 infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (M/M) in vitro. We report in the present study that in uninfected M/M, DPM markedly inhibited cellular uptake of [ 3H]thymidine (dThd) and its incorporation into the nucleotide pools, particularly the dThd-triphosphate pool. In contrast, DPM did not affect cellular uptake and phosphorylation of [ 3H]AZT. Since dThd counteracts the phosphorylation and antiviral action of AZT, these findings support the hypothesis that the potentiation of the anti-HIV effect of AZT is due, at least in part, to differential inhibition of nucleoside salvage.

Effect of 3′‐azido‐3′‐deoxythymidine on replication of duck hepatitis B virus in vivo and in vitro

3'-Azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) inhibits the replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by blocking the formation of the phosphodiester bond and has been used clinically for the treatment of HIV infection. To assess the effect of AZT on the replication of hepadnaviruses, which replicate through reverse transcription, both the liver tissue and primary cultured hepatocytes from ducklings previously infected with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) were examined for DHBV DNA before and after the treatment with AZT. We did not observe suppression of DHBV replication at any doses in our system as measured by viral DNA synthesis in infected duck hepatocytes. The data strongly suggest that AZT has no inhibitory effect on DHBV reverse transcriptase.

Azidothymidine inhibits mitogen stimulated growth and DNA-repair in human peripheral lymphocytes

Until now, 3'-Azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) is the most widely used drug in AIDS therapy, but the positive anti HIV effect of the drug is often accompanied by severe side effects such as bone-marrow suppression. In the present study, the effect of AZT on UV induced DNA strand-break rejoining and on phytohemagglutinin stimulated growth of lymphocytes from 7 healthy volunteers has been examined, and inhibitory effects of the drug was observed at therapeutic concentrations, i.e. 1-10 uM AZT.