Inhibitory effect of a lichen polysaccharide sulfate, GE-3-S, on the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro.

A sulfate (GE-3-S) prepared by chlorosulfonic acid treatment of GE-3, a partially acetylated beta(1----6) glucan of the lichen Umbilicaria esculenta, inhibited the cytopathic effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and suppressed the HIV-antigen expression in Molt-4 (clone 8) cells. GE-3-S also suppressed the giant cell formation of HIV-infected Molt-4 cells, and inhibited HIV-induced plaque formation by 50% at the dose of 19.5 micrograms/ml and completely at 250 micrograms/ml in MT4 cells. GE-3-S had no direct effect on the reverse transcriptase of HIV.