Observations placeholder
AIDs and cannabis as an antiviral
Identifier
007597
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Use the plant.A description of the experience
Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Nov 15;76(10):1240-50. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2008.09.006. Epub 2008 Sep 18. Denbinobin, a naturally occurring 1,4-phenanthrenequinone, inhibits HIV-1 replication through an NF-kappaB-dependent pathway. Sánchez-Duffhues G1, Calzado MA, de Vinuesa AG, Caballero FJ, Ech-Chahad A, Appendino G, Krohn K, Fiebich BL, Muñoz E.
Anthraquinones and structurally related compounds have been recently shown to exert antiviral activities and thus exhibit a therapeutic potential.
In this study we report the isolation of the 1,4-phenanthrenequinone, denbinobin, from a variety of Cannabis sativa.
Denbinobin does not affect the reverse transcription and integration steps of the viral cycle but prevents HIV-1 reactivation in Jurkat T cells activated by TNFalpha, mAbs anti-CD3/CD28 or PMA. In addition, denbinobin inhibits HIV-1-LTR activity at the level of transcription elongation and also TNFalpha-induced HIV-1-LTR transcriptional activity.
We found that denbinobin prevents the binding of NF-kappaB to DNA and the phosphorylation and degradation of NF-kappaB inhibitory protein, IkappaBalpha, and inhibits the phosphorylation of the NF-kappaB p65 subunit in TNFalpha-stimulated cells.
These results highlight the potential of the NF-kappaB transcription factor as a target for natural anti-HIV-1 compounds such as 1,4-phenanthrenequinones, which could serve as lead compounds for the development of an alternative therapeutic approach against AIDS.
PMID: 18840408