RCH@Sun.COM (06/19/89)
PERSANTINE MAY ENHANCE OR SAFEN AZT USAGE
__ An inexpensive prescription drug used orally to prevent
\/ blood clots in persons with certain heart conditions has
been found to substantially increase the effectiveness of
AZT in laboratory tests, without increasing its toxicity to
bone marrow or other human cells. This finding, by a team of
researchers at the U.S. Cancer Institute, was published this
week in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
USA (vol. 86, pages 3842-3846, May 15, 1989. The drug,
dipyridamole (Abbreviated DPM--the brand name is Persantine)
had little or no antiviral effect by itself. But in laboratory
tests, it allowed AZT concentrations to be reduced by a factor
of five to ten times and still have the same anti-HIV activity
as the larger amount of AZT without DPM. These tests were
done in human macrophages, which are believed to be the major
reservoir of HIV. DPM also enhanced the anti-HIV effect of
DDC, an experimental antiviral in the same class as AZT, in
macrophages. The researchers discovered this effect of DPM by
chance. [-CSP BBS]
__ Ric Helton RCH@cup.portal.com
\/ PO Box 2133, Athens, GA 30612-0133