Dimethyl Sulfoxide and Related Polar Compounds Enhance Infection of Human T Cells with HIV-1 in Vitro

Publisher： Elsevier

ISSN： 0006-291X

Source： Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol.227, Iss.3, 1996-10, pp. : 724-729

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Abstract

We observed the enhancing effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on infection of human T cells with human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1). Similar enhancing effects were also found in related polar chemicals such as dimethylformamide, hexamethylenebisacetamide, sodium butyrate and retinoic acid. In acute infection of the human MT-4 T cell line, DMSO at a concentration of 1% reduced the amounts of HIV-1 required to establish similar infection by one log. Furthermore, infection of peripheral blood lymphocytes with HIV-1 was also augmented several times by DMSO. HIV-1 production from persistently infected human T cell lines, but not monocytic cell lines, was enhanced by DMSO and related polar chemicals. DMSO enhanced transcription of HIV-1 RNA in persistently infected T cell lines, and the enhancing effect of DMSO on HIV-1 production was inhibited by staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor. These findings suggested that DMSO enhanced HIV-1 infection of T cells mainly at the step of transcription of viral RNA.