Oxophenarsine, an antisyphilis drug inhibits HIV-1-specific protein synthesis in acutely and persistently infected lymphocytes.

The development of drugs that can inhibit both acute and persistent anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a major goal in the treatment of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Most of the anti-HIV-1 drugs reported thus far, such as azidothymidine (AZT), inhibit acute HIV-1 infection but have no antiviral effect against persistent infection. We report here that oxophenarsine (3-amino-4 hydroxyphenylarsineoxide hydrochloride), an antisyphilus drug inhibits HIV-1 production in acutely infected peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and persistently infected T cells. In acutely infected PBL and H9 T cells, the drug is effective at concentrations as low as 0.07-0.15 micrograms/ml with no significant cytotoxicity at concentrations of 6.0 micrograms/ml or below. It does not inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase at doses up to 60 micrograms/ml. The drug has no effect on HIV-1-specific DNA and RNA synthesis. However, it inhibits HIV-1 protein synthesis in both acutely and persistently infected cells.