ANTIRETROVIRAL EFFECT OF COMBINED ZIDOVUDINE AND REDUCED GLUTATHIONE THERAPY IN MURINE AIDS

A combination of antiretroviral drugs acting at different points in th e virus replication cycle was evaluated in a murine retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency model of AIDS (MAIDS), Intramuscular administration of high doses of reduced glutathione (GSH, 100 mg/mouse/day) and AZT ( 0.25 mg/ml in drinking water) was found to reduce lymphoadenopathy (92 %), splenomegaly (80%), and hypergammaglobulinemia (90%) significantly more than AZT alone, Combined treatment resulted in a reduction in pr oviral DNA content of 69, 66, and 60%, respectively, in lymph nodes, s pleen, and bone marrow, Furthermore, the stimulation index of B cells was also significantly higher in animals receiving GSH and AZT whereas additional responses were not observed in the T cell stimulation inde x and blood lymphocyte phenotype analyses, In conclusion, the administ ration of high doses of GSH and AZT, a new combination,of antiviral dr ugs, seems to provide additional advantages compared to single-agent t herapy.