AEGiS-07IAC: Metabolic and structural effects of the interaction of HIV with PBL and lymphoblastoid cells can be monitored with 1H NMR.

7th International AIDS Conference

Florence, Italy — June 16-21, 1991

Metabolic and structural effects of the interaction of HIV with PBL and lymphoblastoid cells can be monitored with 1H NMR.

Int Conf AIDS 1991 Jun 16-21; 7:25 (abstract no. M.A.13)
Federico M, Maggiorella MT, Sulli N, Guidoni L, Luciani AM, Rosi A, Viti V, Verani P, Rossi GB; Lab.di Fisica e INFN sez. Sanita

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate changes induced in cell membrane organization and in cellular lipid metabolism following HIV infection of susceptible cells, taking advantage of NMR spectroscopy that can be performed on intact viable cells.

METHODS: PHA stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), like other proliferating cells such as tumor cells, display a 1H NMR spectrum characterized by signals from fatty acid chains of lipid molecules, mostly triglycerides, present in fluid domains of the plasma membrane. These molecules can be used as natural probes in monitoring membrane modifications following HIV infection. Choline based metabolites are also visible in these 1H NMR spectra.

RESULTS: 1H NMR spectra of PBL and lymphoblastoid cells HUT-78 and CEM-ss show a transient decrease of the lipid methylene signal intensity in the early stages of infection, in concomitance with HIV internalization, monitoring a general rearrangement of the membrane structure. Analogous effects were observed a few days after infection, during HIV release by infected cells, as assayed by high reverse transcriptase activity in cell supernatant. Signals arising from choline based metabolites, transiently depressed in the early stages of HIV infection, are strongly enhanced when HIV is replicating inside cells, indicating a possible slowing down of phospholipid synthesis.

CONCLUSIONS: These phenomena, confirmed by experiments on HIV chronically infected cells, seem to be a general feature of the interaction of HIV with susceptible cells. 1H NMR spectroscopy allows to monitor metabolic and structural events of large entity when very few virus particles enter the cells.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase, Organothiophosphorus Compounds, HIV Infections, Phospholipids, Choline, Cell Membrane, Fatty Acids, Lymphocytes, Lipids, HIV Core Protein p24, Triglycerides, methamidophos, Human, epidemiology, metabolism, ICA7
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