Effect of Evans Blue and Trypan Blue on Syncytia Formation and Infectivity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I and Type II In Vitro

Polyanionic compounds were used to inhibit infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus in vitro. Suramin, Evans blue, and Trypan blue were shown to inhibit syncytia formation normally observed when HIV-1-infected cells are cocultured with CD4+ cells. The inhibition was more pronounced with Evans blue than with any of the other polyanions studied. The inhibitory effect was significantly weaker in HIV-2 systems. However, the reverse transcriptase activities of both types of viruses were inhibited by Evans blue. Another polyanionic compound, phosphorothioate 28-mer cytidine homopolymer (SdC28) was shown to inhibit syncytium formation induced by HIV-1- and HIV-2-infected cells in an identical manner. Evans blue showed partial blocking of gp120 binding to CD4 in a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These results suggest that the polyanionic dyes may exert their antiviral effects, at least in part, by interfering with the binding and fusion of HIV with susceptible T cells.