2 DOSES OF PMPA PROTECT NEWBORN MACAQUES AGAINST ORAL SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION

Background: Simple and affordable intervention strategies are needed t o reduce the rate of HIV transmission From mother to infant in develop ing countries. Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of newbor n rhesus macaques is considered to be a useful model of human pediatri c HIV infection. Objective: To investigate whether short-term 9-[2-(ph osphonomethoxy) propyl]adenine (PMPA) administration can protect newbo rn rhesus macaques against perinatal SIV infection. Design and methods : Eight newborn macaques were inoculated orally with highly virulent S IVmac within the first 3 days of life. Four of these animals were untr eated controls. The other four animals were given one dose of PMPA (30 mg/kg subcutaneously) 4 h before oral SIV inoculation, and were then given a second and final dose of PMPA 24 h later. Results: All four un treated control animals were persistently SIV-positive within 2 weeks after virus inoculation. In contrast, no virus could be detected in th e four animals that received two doses of PMPA; these animals were ser onegative and healthy at 10 months. Conclusions: Two doses of PMPA pre vented SIV infection of newborn macaques. Our data suggest that short- term administration of PMPA to HIV-infected pregnant women at the onse t of labor and to their newborns after delivery may reduce the rate of intrapartum HIV transmission. (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.