A biological response modifier, PSK, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus infection in vitro.
PSK, a biological response modifier (BRM), was studied to determine its anti-viral activity on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. Either a novel infection system using human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-carrying MT-4 cells or a coculture system using MOLT-4 cells and its virus-producing cells MOLT-4/HIVHTLV-IIIB which induces multinucleated giant cells very efficiently was used. PSK almost completely blocked the cytopathic effect such as giant cell formation and HIV-specific antigen expression both in MT-4 cells and MOLT-4 cells at a concentration of 0.4 and 0.8 mg/ml, respectively. Pretreatment of the virus with PSK may specifically interfere with early stages of HIV infection by modifying the viral receptor.
Tochikura
T S
TS
Dept. of Virology and Parasitology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
Nakashima
H
H
Hirose
K
K
Yamamoto
N
N
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011509:Proteoglycans; C010770:polysaccharide-K