Vieta I, Savarino A, Papa G, Vidotto V, Cantamessa C, Pugliese
A.In vitro inhibitory activity of citreoviridin against
HIV-1 and an HIV-associated opportunist: Candida albicans.
J Chemother. 1996 Oct;8(5):351-7
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of
Turin, Italy.
Citreoviridin, a mycotoxin produced by some molds of the
genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, inhibits the growth of
bacteria of the Bacillus genus. Since significant information
was not available on the effects of citreoviridin on eukaryotic
cells and viruses, this molecule was tested on CD4+ T-lymphoid
cell lines, on HIV-1 and on Candida albicans, which sometimes
complicates HIV-infection. Antiviral activity was detected in H9
HTLV IIIB cells, a clone chronically infected by HIV-1.
Citreoviridin reduced p24 in the supernatant of H9 HTLV IIIB in
a dose-dependent manner with a pharmacological selectivity index
of 2.6. In C. albicans, the effects of the mold-derivative were
evaluated on some parameters associated with pathogenicity and
virulence: cellular proliferation, germ tube production,
expression of heat shock mannoproteins, release of proteases and
phospholipases. At a 12.5 microM dose, citreoviridin showed a
marked inhibitory effect on all parameters analyzed. As regards
the mechanism of action, it is possible to hypothesize that the
effects of citreoviridin may be due to a reduction of protein
synthesis, since it inhibited the replication of HIV-1 at post-integrational
stages and reduced the intracellular RNA and protein content in
C. albicans.
PMID: 8957714
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