title: Aikeqing decreases viral loads in SHIV89.6-infected Chinese rhesus macaques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aikeqing (AKQ) has been shown in clinical studies to improve quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients, but anti-HIV activity has not been determined. The SHIV-infected macaque is an important animal model for testing antiviral drugs. This study aimed to determine the anti-HIV activity of AKQ in chronically SHIV89.6-infected Chinese rhesus macaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine Chinese rhesus macaques were inoculated intravenously with SHIV89.6 virus. At 11 weeks post-infection, the animals were arbitrarily divided into three groups: high-dose (AKQ 1.65 g/kg; n = 3), low-dose (AKQ 0.55 g/kg; n = 3), and control (water 1 mL/kg; n = 3). Treatment was administered by the intragastric gavage route once-daily for 8 weeks. Blood (5 mL) was collected biweekly. Viral loads were analyzed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays, and T cell counts were monitored by FACS analyses throughout the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AKQ induced a persistent decline (P = 0.02) in plasma viral loads during treatment in the high-dose group compared with their baseline levels, and cessation of the therapy caused viral load rebound to the pretreatment levels. No significant difference (P = 0.06) was found in the plasma viral loads during treatment in the low-dose group. The CD4(+) T cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratios remained at stable high levels during the treatment period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AKQ reduced plasma viral loads in the SHIV89.6-infected Chinese rhesus macaque model.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Gao-Hong
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Jian-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China ; Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Rong-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China ; Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Xi-He
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China ; Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China.
authors.forename: Ying-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China.
authors.forename: Lin-Chun
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China ; Kunming Primate Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China.
authors.forename: Yong-Tang
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Zheng