title: Protection by protein A of apoptotic cell death caused by anti-AIDS drug zidovudine.
abstract: Zidovudine, the anti-AIDS drug, caused inhibition of mitogen-induced proliferation and perturbation of cell-cycle progression of cultured bone marrow cells of mice. There was significant hypoploidy observed in flow cytometric analysis of AZT-treated bone marrow cells. In apo-direct analysis, cells showed apoptosis in G0/G1 phase. In DNA gel analysis, characteristic laddering of apoptosis was observed in AZT-treated bone marrow cells. We demonstrated that, when the animals were pretreated with protein A (PA) of Staphylococcus aureus, the apoptotic changes could be prevented in bone marrow cells of AZT-treated animals. There is a significant (p < 0.05) increase in proliferation of bone marrow cells subjected to mitogen treatment in PA+AZT-treated animals, compared to only AZT-treated animals. However, cell-cycle phase distribution was not hampered and no laddering in DNA gel analysis was also observed in this group. In apo-direct analysis, PA treatment showed significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of AZT-induced apoptosis. These observations indicate that by using a suitable agent such as protein A the toxic side effects of AZT could be minimized.
authors.affiliation: Immunotechnology Section, Bose Institute, Calcutta, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D015215:Zidovudine