title: Ingenol Protects Human T Cells From HIV-1 Infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many natural compounds have been investigated as drug candidates to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with low cytotoxicity. We tested whether ingenol from Euphorbia ingens exerts anti-HIV effects in human T cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ingenol effectively maintained high cell viability (CD50, >1 mM) in H9 and MT4 T cells. The efficacy of ingenol to inhibit HIV-1 infection was dose dependent. ED50 for 100 and 200 TCID50 of HIV-1 was 5.06 and 16.87 μM, respectively. Gag p24 antigen production in ingenol-treated MT4 cells was reduced by 24.5% on day 6 post-infection. While p24 antigen was reduced in ingenol-treated cells, levels of cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 and chemokines such as RANTES and MCP-1 were increased. dUTP level related to late apoptotic events was increased on day 2 post-infection of HIV by ingenol treatment, whereas expression of annexin V was unchanged. Reduced levels of iNOS and ZAP-70 after HIV infection were recovered by ingenol treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ingenol helps T cells to survive longer against viremia after HIV-1 infection, without exerting cytotoxic effects. Ingenol can be considered a safe and efficacious candidate for immune-boosting therapy for AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of AIDS, Korea National Institute of Health, Osong, Korea.
authors.forename: Kee-Jong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hak Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yeong-Shik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Soon
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Euphorbia ingens; Gag p24; HIV-1; anti-HIV activity; natural products