EFFECTS OF CHLOROQUINE ON THE REPLICATION OF A MURINE RETROVIRUS

The wide use of chloroquine (Cq) for prophylaxis and chemotherapy of m alaria in Africa, and the increased spread of AIDS in areas of this co ntinent where malaria is endemic, raised the question of a possible in teraction between chloroquine intake and HIV infection. Indeed, hydrox ychloroquine and chloroquine itself have been shown to inhibit HN-I re plication in vitro, hydroxychloroquine being proposed as a potential u seful adjunctive therapy in the treatment of HIV-1 infection, On the o ther hand chloroquine has been reported to enhance the replication of Semliki Sorest and encephalomyocarditis viruses in a mouse model. In a n attempt to elucidate Cq effect on retroviral replication we have stu died the effect of various concentrations of chloroquine in vitro (0.1 nmol/l to 25 mu mol/l) on Friend retrovirus (FV)-infected fibroblasts of mice and in vivo (2 to 30 mg/kg) on FV-infected mice. No reduction in the number of virus foci was Sound in chloroquine-treated fibrobla sts cultures. In chloroquine treated-infected mice, no differences wer e observed in the spleen weights, except an increase at 10 mg/kg. A de crease in splenocyte virus titer was only observed at 10 and 30 mg/kg. No differences in the median survival time was observed Lip to 30 mg/ kg. The authors concluded that chloroquine seemed to have variable eff ects on viral replication in vivo depending on the dosage, but has no influence on the course of FV-induced disease.