title: Influence of quinacrine and chloroquine on the in vitro 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine antiretroviral effect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antimalarials quinacrine (Qc) and chloroquine (Cq) intercalate DNA, potentiate the activity of other drugs and have lysosomotropic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities that could increase the effect of the 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) antiretroviral agent. The aim of the current study was to evaluate if Qc and Cq could improve the in vitro effect of the antiretroviral AZT agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inhibition of viral replication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)SF33-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with Qc or Cq, alone or combined with a low dose of AZT was measured. Viral replication increased with Qc and decreased with high doses of Cq. The increase of replication caused by Qc was reversed by AZT. Neither Qc nor Cq significantly changed the antiviral activity of AZT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cq does not potentiate the effect of AZT, but it is effective by itself at high doses. The rise of HIV replication by Qc could be deleterious in HIV endemic regions, where it is used as antimalarial. The mechanisms associated to this phenomenon must be identified.
authors: Laboratorio de Neuroimmunoendocrinología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México D F, México ; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Calzada de Tlalpan 4502, Col. Sección XVI, 14080 México D F, México.
authors: Klintsy J
authors: KJ
authors: Torres
authors: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Calzada de Tlalpan 4502, Col. Sección XVI, 14080 México D F, México.
authors: Gustavo
authors: G
authors: Reyes-Terán
authors: Laboratorio de Neuroinmunología y, ᅟ, ᅟ ᅟ, ᅟ
authors: Julio
authors: J
authors: Sotelo
authors: Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3877, Col. La Fama-Tlalpan, 14269 México D F, México ; Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Interior, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Copilco, 04510 México D F, México.
authors: Helgi
authors: H
authors: Jung-Cook
authors: Laboratorio de Neuroimmunoendocrinología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México D F, México ; Laboratorio de Neuroinmunología y, ᅟ, ᅟ ᅟ, ᅟ
authors: Lucinda
authors: L
authors: Aguirre-Cruz
keywords: AZT; Antimalarials; Chloroquine; HIV; Quinacrine