A biological response modifier, PSK, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus infection in vitro

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1987 Oct 29;148(2):726-33. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(87)90936-3.

Abstract

PSK, a biological response modifier (BRM), was studied to determine its anti-viral activity on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. Either a novel infection system using human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-carrying MT-4 cells or a coculture system using MOLT-4 cells and its virus-producing cells MOLT-4/HIVHTLV-IIIB which induces multinucleated giant cells very efficiently was used. PSK almost completely blocked the cytopathic effect such as giant cell formation and HIV-specific antigen expression both in MT-4 cells and MOLT-4 cells at a concentration of 0.4 and 0.8 mg/ml, respectively. Pretreatment of the virus with PSK may specifically interfere with early stages of HIV infection by modifying the viral receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Viral / analysis
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Deltaretrovirus / drug effects*
  • Deltaretrovirus / genetics
  • Deltaretrovirus / growth & development
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • HIV / drug effects*
  • HIV / genetics
  • HIV / growth & development
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Proteoglycans / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Proteoglycans
  • polysaccharide-K