title: Alpha-lipoic acid is an effective inhibitor of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV-1) replication.
abstract: Alpha-lipoic acid, a naturally occurring disulfide-compound that acts as a cellular coenzyme, inhibits replication of HIV-1 in cultured lymphoid T-cells. Alpha-lipoic acid was added 16 hours after infection of the T-cell lines Jurkat, SupT1 and Molt-4 with HTLV IIIB and HIV-1 Wal (a wild type HIV-1 isolate). We observed a dose dependent inhibition of HIV-1-replication in CPE (Cytopathic effect) formation, reverse transcriptase activity and plaque formation on CD4-transformed HeLa-cells. An over 90% reduction of reverse transcriptase activity could be achieved with 70 micrograms alpha-lipoic acid/ml, a complete reduction of plaque-forming units at concentrations of greater than or equal to 35 micrograms alpha-lipoic acid/ml. An augmentation of the antiviral activity was seen by combination of zidovudine and low dose of alpha-lipoic acid (7 micrograms/ml). Trypan blue staining revealed no toxic effects of alpha-lipoic acids on peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells and T-cell lines even in concentrations of greater than or equal to 70 micrograms/ml. Therefore, we propose the inclusion of alpha-lipoic acid into chemotherapy trials in combination with zidovudine.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harrer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peukert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kalden
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleckenstein
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015215:Zidovudine; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase