9-Nitrocamptothecin inhibits HIV-1 replication in human peripheral blood lymphocytes: a potential alternative for HIV-infection/AIDS therapy

The ability of the anti-cancer drug, 9-Nitrocamptothecin (9NC), to inhibit replication of HIV-1 in clinically relevant primary lymphocytic cells was studied. Primary peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from a non-infected donor were freshly infected with HIV-1 and treated with 9NC by using three different treatment schedules. Cells were monitored for cytotoxicity by the XTT metabolic cell proliferation assay and a sensitive flow cytometric assay that was capable of measuring cell cycle changes and apoptosis. 9NC inhibited replication of HIV-1 in PBLs by greater than 95% in a dose-dependent manner as measured by the level of extracellular HIV-1 p24 release. Similar results were observed, whether 9NC was applied in a single, double, or triple dose regimen. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed for both non-infected and infected PBLs, as determined by the XTT assay. Moreover, 9NC induced apoptosis within 24 hours of drug treatment in freshly infected, but not non-infected, PBLs. The data showed that 9NC reduced replication of HIV-1 in primary human lymphocytes; thus, it indicates the potential clinical utility of this drug as an alternative or adjunct therapy for HIV-infection/AIDS. J. Med. Virol. 64:238–244, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.