title: Consistent inhibition of HIV-1 replication in CD4+ T cells by acyclovir without detection of human herpesviruses.
abstract: Acyclovir, a nucleoside analog, is thought to be specific for the human herpesviruses because it requires a virally encoded enzyme to phosphorylate it to acyclovir monophosphate. Recently, acyclovir triphosphate was shown to be a direct inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase. Here, we showed that acyclovir is an inhibitor of HIV-1 replication in CD4(+) T cells from cord blood that have undetectable levels of the eight human herpesviruses. Additionally, acyclovir phosphates were detected by reverse-phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and quantified in a primer extension assay from cord blood. The data support acyclovir as an inhibitor of HIV-1 replication in herpesvirus-negative cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Moira A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Teresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Janet D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Siliciano
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Siliciano
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir