title: In vitro and in vivo anti-retroviral activity of the substance purified from the aqueous extract of Chelidonium majus L.
abstract: We have isolated a substance with anti-retroviral activity from the freshly prepared crude extract of Chelidonium majus L. (greater celandine) by 9-aminoacridine precipitation method and ion exchange chromatography using Dowex-50W/H+ resin followed by the gel filtration on Sephadex-75 column. Elemental and phenol/sulfuric acid method analyses as well as the mass spectrometry of the purified substance indicated that it may represent a low-sulfated poly-glycosaminoglycan moiety with molecular weight of approximately 3800 Da. The substance prevented infection of human CD4+ T-cell lines AA2 and H9 with HIV-1 at concentration of 25 microg/mL as well as the cell-to-cell virus spread in H9 cells continuously infected with HIV-1, as determined by the measurement of reverse transcriptase activity and p24 content in cell cultures. Furthermore, we have shown in a murine AIDS model that the treatment with purified substance significantly prevented splenomegaly and the enlargement of cervical lymph nodes in C57Bl/6 mice chronically infected with the pool of murine leukemia retroviruses. The mechanism(s) of anti-retroviral activity of this substance have to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, Baxter AG, Uferstrasse 15, A-2304 Orth/D., Austria. gerencm@baxter.com
authors.forename: Marijan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerencer
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Turecek
authors.forename: Otfried
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kistner
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitterer
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Savidis-Dacho
authors.forename: Noel P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D028281:Chelidonium / Q000737:chemistry*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005590:Fractional Precipitation; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000187:drug effects; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D010936:Plant Extracts; C013786:A73025; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase