Adaptation of the plasma renin radioimmunoassay for use with HIV-1 protease

Vitamin D receptor and epigenetics in HIV infection and drug abuse

Illicit drug abuse is highly prevalent and serves as a powerful co-factor for HIV exacerbation. Epigenetic alterations in drug abuse and HIV infection determine expression of several critical genes such as vitamin D receptor (VDR), which participates in proliferation, differentiation, cell death under both physiological and pathological conditions. On that account, active vitamin D, the ligand of VDR, is used as an adjuvant therapy to control infection, slow down progression of chronic kidney diseases, and cancer chemotherapy. Interestingly, vitamin D may not be able to augment VDR expression optimally in several instances where epigenetic contributes to down regulation of VDR; however, reversal of epigenetic corruption either by demethylating agents (DACs) or histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors would be able to maximize expression of VDR in these instances.

Renin modulates HIV replication in T cells

HIV is known to subvert cellular machinery to enhance its replication. Recently, HIV has been reported to enhance TC renin expression. We hypothesized that HIV induces and maintains high renin expression to promote its own replication in TCs. Renin enhanced HIV replication in TCs in a dose-dependent manner. (P)RR-deficient TCs, as well as those lacking renin, displayed attenuated NF-κB activity and HIV replication. TCs treated with renin and Hpr displayed activation of the (P)RR-PLZF protein signaling cascade. Renin, HIV, and Hpr activated the PI3K pathway. Both renin and Hpr cleaved Agt (a renin substrate) to Ang I and also cleaved Gag polyproteins (protease substrate) to p24. Furthermore, aliskiren, a renin inhibitor, reduced renin- and Hpr-induced cleavage of Agt and Gag polyproteins. These findings indicate that renin contributes to HIV replication in TCs via the (P)RR-PLZF signaling cascade and through cleavage of the Gag polyproteins.

Development of activity assays for high-volume evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors in rat serum: results with ditekiren

We showed previously that a commercially available synthetic tetradecapeptide, Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-Ser, produces authentic angiotensin I (Ang I) upon incubation with the HIV-1 protease (S. K. Sharma et al., Anal. Biochem. 198:363, 1991). Therefore, we developed an Ang-I based activity assay for HIV protease inhibitors based on the technology developed earlier (M. J. Ruwart et al., Pharm. Res. 7:407, 1990; S. K. Sharma et al., Anal. Biochem. 186:24, 1990) for tracking renin inhibitors in rat sera. Ditekiren was either extracted from sera with ethyl acetate or assayed after the interfering substances in sera were precipitated with acetonitrile. Purified recombinant HIV-1 protease was added to extracted rat serum and the enzymatic reaction was initiated in the presence of the tetradecapeptide substrate. The inhibition of Ang I production was measured by a commercially available RIA kit. The cleanup methodology also enabled a commercially available Proteinase Scintillation Proximity Assay (SPA, Amersham) to quantify ditekiren in rat serum through the addition of recombinant HIV-1 protease and cleavage of substrate from SPA beads. Results were confirmed by HPLC or by the renin assay for ditekiren, which inhibits both aspartyl proteases. These technologies should prove useful for assessing serum levels of HIV protease inhibitors in rat.

An ultrasensitive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease radioimmuno rate assay with a potential for monitoring blood levels of protease inhibitors in acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome patients

The angiotensin I-based peptide Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Glu-Glu-Ser yields angiotensin I (Ang I) and Leu-Glu-Glu-Ser upon hydrolysis by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease, but not by human renin. N-terminal sequencing of the reaction products showed that the HIV-1 protease cleaved exclusively at the Leu-Leu bond. The rate of Ang I formation can be measured by a radioimmunoassay, since the parent peptide has minimal cross reactivity in this assay. The rate of enzymatic hydrolysis is maximal at pH 4.5-5.0 and at an ionic strength of 1 M. At 37 degrees C, 0.1 M Na acetate buffer, pH 5.0, 1 M NaCl, 10% glycerol, 5% ethylene glycol, 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin, and 3 mM EDTA, the reaction obeys Michaelis-Menten type kinetics with Km = 17.2 +/- 3.5 microM and kcat = 2.30 +/- 0.33 min-1. The activity assay readily quantitates as little as 0.25 nM of HIV-1 protease. The production of Ang I by the HIV-1 protease is inhibited in the presence of a HIV-1 protease inhibitor. The newly discovered substrate is relatively insensitive to human or monkey serum. Therefore, the effect of sera from 20 patients with advanced acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AIDS) on Ang I production in the above assay system was examined. Results of this study indicate that it may be possible to adapt the above Ang I-based system to determine blood levels of HIV-1 protease inhibitors in AIDS patients during clinical trials.