title: Anti-HIV-1 activities of extracts from the medicinal plant Rhus chinensis.
abstract: Rhus chinensis, a species used in folk medicine by Chinese native people, the anti-HIV-1 activities of the petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous extract of Rhus chinensis, named as RC-1, RC-2, RC-3 and RC-4, respectively, was evaluated. The petroleum ether extract RC-1 can inhibit the syncytium formation and HIV-1 p24 antigen at non-cytotoxic concentrations, the 50% effective concentration (EC50) were 0.71 and 0.93 microg/ml, respectively. The therapeutic index (TI) was about 100. RC-1 had no activity on inhibiting HIV-1 recombinant RT and HIV-1 entry into host cells. Results showed that RC-1 was effective against HIV-1 and Rhus chinensis would be a useful medicinal plant for the chemotherapy of HIV-1 infection. RC-1 might inhibit the post steps or target the new sites of HIV-1 replication.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunopharmacology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Rui
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Liu-Meng
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ji-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shun-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-Tang
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029045:Rhus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts