Human immunodeficiency virus replication: modulation by cellular levels of cAMP.

HIV infection is associated with qualitative and functional immune deficiencies. It has been shown that the in vitro infection of CD4+ cells with HIV was associated with sustained elevation of cAMP and cGMP. In the present report the role of cAMP on HIV replication in MT-4 cells was investigated. The MT-4 cells were infected with HIV (strain 3b), in the presence or absence of agents that increase intracellular levels of cAMP, through different mechanisms. At selected times postinfection, HIV replication was measured by reverse transcriptase activity or HIV P24Ag in culture supernatants. Forskolin (FK, an activator of adenylate cyclase 1-100 microM), Isobutyl-methylxanthine (IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, which indirectly increases intracellular levels of cAMP, 30-100 microM) and dibutyryl (db) cAMP (0.1-10 microM) enhanced HIV replication, in a dose-dependent manner. FK, IBMX, and db cAMP enhanced HIV replication by 2- to 10-fold, 4- to 7-fold, and 2- to 6-fold, respectively. Intracellular levels of cAMP were measured by radioimmunoassay and were also enhanced. Since cAMP exerts its catalytic effects through activation of protein kinase (PK) A the effect of H-8 (a specific inhibitor of the cAMP dependent PK A) on HIV replication was simultaneously examined. The H8 at doses of 0.1 to 10 microns inhibited HIV replication by 25 to 99.9%. Moreover H9 inhibited HIV replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by more than 90%. The replication of HIV appears to be a cAMP-dependent event, and PK A could possibly be a target for the development of anti-HIV therapies.