Grape seed extract proanthocyanidins downregulate HIV- 1 entry coreceptors, CCR2b, CCR3 and CCR5 gene expression by normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Flavonoids and related polyphenols, in addition to their cardioprotective, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and anti-allergic activities, also possess promising anti-HIV effects. Recent studies documented that the ß-chemokine receptors, CCR2b, CCR3 and CCR5, and the alpha-chemokine receptors, CXCR1, CXCR2 and CXCR4 serve as entry coreceptors for HIV-1. Although flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds elicit anti-HIV effects such as inhibition of HIV-1 expression and virus replication, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain to be clearly elucidated. We hypothesize that flavonoids exert their anti-HIV effects, possibly by interfering at the HIV co-receptor level. We investigated the effect of flavonoid constituents of a proprietary grape seed extract (GSE) on the expression of HIV-1 coentry receptors by immunocompetent mononuclear leukocytes. Our results showed that GSE significantly downregulated the expression of the HIV-1 entry co-receptors, CCR2b , CCR3 and CCR5 in normal PBMC in a dose dependent manner. Further , GSE treated cultures showed significantly lower number of CCR3 positive cells as quantitated by flow cytometry analysis which supports RT-PCR gene expression data.Investigations of the mechanisms underlying the anti-HIV-1 effects of grape seed extracts may help to identify promising natural products useful in the prevention and /or amelioration of HIV-1 infection

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	NAIR,MADHAVAN P, KANDASWAMI,CHITHAN, MAHAJAN,SUPRIYA, NAIR,HARIKRISHNA N, CHAWDA,RAM, SHANAHAN,THOMAS, SCHWARTZ,STANLEY A
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedad de Biología de Chile 2002
Online Access:	http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602002000300016
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