Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Prophylaxis against HIV-1 infection in chimpanzees by nevirapine, a nonnucleoside inhibitor of reverse transcriptase

Abstract

Chimpanzees were challenged with HIV-1IIIB while receiving a short regimen of nevirapine (Viramune), a nonnucleoside inhibitor of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The untreated, control chimpanzee developed an infection characterized by seroconversion, viremia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and plasma positive for viral RNA. In contrast, the three nevirapine-treated chimpanzees remained negative for all viral markers with the exception of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of PBMCs for viral DNA. Although PBMCs from the three nevirapine-treated chimpanzees tested intermittently positive for viral DNA, this PCR signal disappeared and remained negative for the final five months of the study. These data indicate that orally administered nevirapine provided protection from HIV-1 infection in the chimpanzee model.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wei, X. et al. Viral dynamics ih human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Nature 373, 117–122 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ho, D.D. et al. Rapid turnover of plasma virions and CD4 lymphocytes in HIV-1 infection. Nature 373, 123–126 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Mellors, J.W. et al. Prognosis in HIV-1 infection predicted by the quantity of virus in plasma. Science 272, 1167–1170 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Connor, E.M. Reduction of material-infant transmission of human immunodefficiency virus type 1 with zidovudine treatment. N. Engl. J. Med. 331, 1173–1180 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kohlstaedt, L.A., Wang, J., Friedman, J.M., Rice, P.A. & Steitz, T.A. Crystal structure at 3.5 Å resolution of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase complexed with an inhibitor. Science 256, 1783–1790 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Merluzzi, V.J. et al. Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Science 250, 1411–1413 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Koup, R.A. et al. Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by the dipyridodiazepinone BI-RC-587. J. Infect. Dis. 163, 966–970 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. D'Aquila, R.T. et al. Nevirapine, zidovudine, and didanosine compared with zidovudine and didanosine in patients with HIV-1 infection: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann. Intern. Med. 124, 1019–1030 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Murphy, R.L. & Montaner, J. Nevirapine: A review of its development, pharmacological profile and potential for clinical use. Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs 5, 1183–1199 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Chessman, S.H. et al. Pharmacokinetics of nevirapine: Initial single-rising-dose study in humans. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 37, 178–182 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Johnson, B.K. et al. Long-term observations of human immunodeficiency virus-infected chimpanzees. Aids Res. Hum. Retroviruses 9, 375–778 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fultz, P.N., Siegel, R.L., Brodie, A., Mawle, A.C. & Carter, S. Prolonged CD4+ lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia in a chimpanzee persistently infected with a human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J. Infect. Dis. 163, 441–447 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Girard, M. et al. Immunization of chimpanzees confers protection against challenge with human immunodeficiency virus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 542–546 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Girard, M. et al. Vaccine-induced protection of chimpanzees against infection by a heterologous human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J. Virol. 69, 6239–6248 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Berman, P.W. et al. Protection of MN-rgp 120-immunized chimpanzees from heterologous infection with a primary isolate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J. Infect. Dis. 173, 52–59 (1996).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Prince, A.M. et al. Prevention of HIV infection by passive immunization with HIV immunoglobulin. Aids Res. Hum. Retroviruses 7, 971–973 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ward, R.H.R. et al. Prevention of HIV-1IIB infection in chimpanzees by CD4 immunoadhesin. Nature 352, 434–436 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Emini, E.A. et al. Prevention of HIV-1 infection in chimpanzees by gp120 V3 domain-specific monoclonal antibody. Nature 355, 728–730 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Scheif, W.A. et al. Attempted prophylaxis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in chimpanzees with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Aids Res Human Retroviruses 10, 107–110 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lewis, A.D. & Johnson, P.R. Developing animal models for AIDS research Ñ progress and problems. Trends Biotech. 13, 142–150 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Tsai, C-C. et al. Preexposure prophylaxis with 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxethyl) adenine against simian immunodeficiency virus infection in macaques. J. Infect. Dis. 169, 260–266 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hattox, S.E. et al. Single and multiple dose pharmacokinetics of nevirapine, a novel non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor, in chimpanzees. Pharm. Res. 9, S268 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Cheeseman, S.H. et al. Phase I/II evaluation of nevirapine alone and in combination with zidovudine for infection with human immunodeficiency virus. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. 8, 141–151 (1995).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Saksela, K., Muchmore, E., Girard, M., Fultz, P. & Baltimore, D. High viral load in lymph nodes and latent human immunodeficiency (HIV) in peripheral blood cells of HIV-1 infected chimpanzees. J. Virol. 67, 7423–7427 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Fultz, P.N., Gluckman, J.-C., Muchmore, E. & Girard, M. Transient increases in numbers of infectious cells in an HIV-infected chimpanzee following immune stimulation. AIDS Res. Human Retroviruses 8, 313–317 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Israel, Z.R. et al. Incomplete protection, but suppression of virus burden, elicited by subunit simian immunodeficiency virus vaccines. J. Virol. 68, 1843–1853 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Arthur, L.O. et al. Challenge of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) immunized with human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein gp120. J. Virol. 63, 5046–5053 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Jayaraj, A. et al. A rapid and sensitive HPLC-UV method for the quantification of an anti-HIV-agent, nevirapine and its solid-phase extractable metabolites in biological fluids. Pharm. Res. 9, S334 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zack, J.A. et al. HIV-1 entry into quiescent primary lymphocytes: Molecular analysis reveals a labile, latent viral structure. Cell 61, 213–222 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Cao, Y. et al. Clinical evaluation of branched DNA signal amplification for quantifying HIV type 1 in human plasma. AIDS Res Human Retroviruses 11, 353–361 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ho, D.D., Moudgil, T. & Alarm, M. Quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in the blood of infected persons. N. Engl. J. Med. 321, 1621–1625 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Daa, E.S., Moudgil, T., Myer, R.D. & Ho, D.D. Transient high levels of viremia in patients with primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. N. Engl. J. Med. 324, 961–964 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Connor, R.I., Mohr, H., Cao, Y. & Ho, D.D. Increased viral burden and cytopathicity correlate temporally with CD4+ T-lymphocyte decline and clinical progression in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infected individuals. J. Virol. 67, 1772–1777 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Cao, Y., Qin, L., Zhang, L., Safrit, J. & Ho, D.D. Virologic and immunologic characterization of long-term survivors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. N. Engl. J. Med. 332, 201–208 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grob, P., Cao, Y., Muchmore, E. et al. Prophylaxis against HIV-1 infection in chimpanzees by nevirapine, a nonnucleoside inhibitor of reverse transcriptase. Nat Med 3, 665–670 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0697-665

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0697-665

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing