title: Inhibition of HIV activation in latently infected cells by flavonoid compounds.
abstract: Acute HIV-1 infection of H9 and C8166 cultures has been shown to be suppressed by certain flavonoids, and evidence for inhibition of HIV-1 protease, integrase, and reverse transcriptase by flavonoids also exists. The present aim was to determine whether flavonoids inhibit HIV-1 activation in models of latent infection. By screening flavonoids from six different classes, three structurally related compounds (chrysin, acacetin, and apigenin) were identified that inhibited HIV expression in TNF-alpha-treated OM-10.1 cultures. The three compounds had favorable potencies against HIV activation in relation to their growth inhibitory effects (therapeutic index 5-10). Chrysin also inhibited HIV expression in response to PMA in OM-10.1 cells, in ACH-2 cells stimulated with either TNF-alpha or PMA, and in 8E5 cultures. Furthermore, return to viral latency in OM-10.1 cells previously exposed to TNF-alpha occurred over a shorter time interval when chrysin was added. The inhibition of HIV activation was not dependent on preincubation with flavonoids relative to TNF, and was characterized by a lack of HIV RNA accumulation by Northern analysis. Gel-shift experiments revealed that NF-kappa B activation after TNF-alpha treatment was not inhibited by these agents, suggesting that some other critical factor(s) needed for viral transcription was being affected. These findings indicate that flavonoids inhibit HIV-1 activation via a novel mechanism, and that these agents are potential candidates for therapeutic strategies aimed at maintaining a cellular state of HIV-1 latency.
authors.affiliation: Retrovirus Diseases Branch, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Critchfield
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Folks
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D002599:Chalcone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D002599:Chalcone; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate