POLYAMINE POOLS IN HIV-INFECTED CELLS

The polyamines putrescine, spermine, and spermidine, present in all li ving cells, have been implicated in the replication of some herpesviru ses and retroviruses, and elevated levels of these polyamines have bee n found in the lymphocytes of patients infected with HIV-1. We have ex amined the effect of HIV-I infection on polyamine pools in cell cultur e. HIV-I did not significantly affect the polyamine pools in CEM cells . Consistent with this observation, inhibitors of the two key enzymes of this pathway, ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine deca rboxylase, did not prevent viral-induced cytopathic effects (CPE) in t his cell line. Our results indicate that inhibitors of this pathway wi ll not be therapeutically useful in the treatment of AIDS.