Oxytocin and Prostaglandins do not affect HIV Replication
Women’s Health-April 28, 2003
These hormones are “involved in labor and are used clinically for its induction,” researchers in Argentina explained.
A. Ceballos and colleagues at the University of Buenos Aires conducted a study in which “the effect of oxytocin, PGF(2alpha), and PGE(2) on human immunodeficiency virus-1 production in acutely and persistently infected cells was measured.”
“No significant effect on p24 antigen production was found with oxytocin or PGs, except for a transient decrease in persistently infected cells treated with 1 microM PGF(2alpha),” they reported.
“These results showed that oxytocin and PGs could be used clinically for labor induction without any direct enhancement in viral production,” Ceballos and coauthors concluded. “Besides, the results with PGF(2alpha) at the highest concentration studied may indicate a pharmacological effect.”
Ceballos and coauthors published their study in the Archives of Virology (Oxytocin and prostaglandins F-2 alpha and E-2 do not enhance HIV antigen production in vitro. Arch Virol, 2003;148(3):531-535).
Additional information can be obtained by contacting A. Ceballos, University of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Medicine, RA-1121 Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina.
The publisher of the journal Archives of Virology can be contacted at: Springer-Verlag Wien, Sachsenplatz 4-6, P.O. Box 89, A-1201 Vienna, Austria.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of AIDS and HIV, Endocrinology and Women’s Health. This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
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