[The anti-HIV activity of glycyrrhizic acid penta-O-nicotinate].

The anti-HIV activity of niglizin (penta-O-nicotinate of glycyrrhizic acid) and of its combinations was studied in the culture of infected MT-4 cells and in respect to the recombinant reverse HIV-1 transcriptase. Niglizin was shown to suppress effectively the HIV replication and to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of reverse transcriptase. Research of a combined anti-HIV action of niglizin and of azidothimidine (AZT) demonstrated that the preparations, when used at ratios of 1:20, 1:50, 1:200 and 1:2000, suppressed the synergetic effect both in the cell culture and in the recombinant reverse HIV transcriptase.

[New phosphonoformic acid derivatives of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine].

New 5'-alkyl ethoxy- and aminocarbonylphosphonates of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) were synthesized, and their antiviral properties in HIV-1-infected cell cultures and stability to chemical hydrolysis were studied. The AZT 5'-aminocarbonylphosphonates were shown to be significantly more stable in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) than the corresponding ethoxycarbonylphosphonates.

[Determination of glycyrrhizic acid binding sites by a phage display method].

Phages that expose peptides specifically interacting with glycyrrhizic acid (GA) were selected from a phage peptide library by affinity selection and ELISA. Amino acid sequence analysis of the selected peptides and human proteins with the SIM program revealed homology to tyrosine protein kinases, serine/threonine protein kinases, tyrosine phosphatases, and some receptors. Analysis of the peptide and virus protein sequences with the BLAST program showed that GA has affinity for various surface proteins of several human viruses such as HIV-1, hepatitis C virus, and herpesviruses.

[Chronically HIV-1 infected human monocyte culture U937 as a model for assessing the efficacy of anti-HIV agents].

Cell culture U937 chronically infected with HIV-1 is suggested as a model for adequate evaluation of antiviral activity of HIV inhibitors. Azidothimidine (AZT) notable decreased HIV-1 reproduction in chronically infected U937 cells to passages 15-18. Glycirrhizic acid (GA) effectively inhibited the virus production during the first four passages, while in subsequent passages (up to passage 20) decreased the virus production by only 60% in comparison with the control.

[Immunoenzyme test-system for detection of glycyrrhizic acid].

An experimental enzyme immunoassay test kit was developed for detecting glycyrrhizic acid (GA) during pharmacokinetic investigations. This method was used to determine the GA content in the blood plasma of mice and guinea pigs after intraperitoneal and intravenous injections. The results of the GA determination using the new test kit agree with the data obtained by HPLC.