Effects of chloroquine on the replication of a murine retrovirus
Sinet, P.M.; Verdier, F.; Charmot, G.; Desforges, B.; Gaudin, C.; Pocidalo, J.J.
Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique 89(3): 175-178
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-9085 PMID: 8998409 Document Number: 468894
In an attempt to elucidate the effect of chloroquine on retroviral replication (of relevance to the possibility of interaction between chloroquine and HIV infection), the effect of various concentrations (0.1 nmol/l to 25 micro mol/l) in vitro on Friend retrovirus (FV)-infected fibroblasts of mice, and that of concentrations of 2, 4, 10 or 30 mg/kg in vivo on FV-infected mice, were studied. No significant reduction in the number of virus foci was found in chloroquine-treated fibroblast cultures, except at cytotoxic doses. In chloroquine-treated infected mice, no differences were observed in the spleen weights, except an increase (P<0.01) at 10 mg/kg. A decrease (P<0.001) in splenocyte virus titre was observed at 10 and 30 mg/kg only. No differences in the median survival time were observed at any of the doses used. It is concluded that chloroquine seems to have variable effects on viral replication in vivo depending on the dosage, but has no influence on the course of FV-induced disease.