Replication of SHIVKU-2 in response to rmIL-4 and AS IL-4 in macaque PBMCs and monocyte-derived macrophages. (A) PBMCs were treated with staphylococcal enterotoxin A for 24 hours, following which the cells were inoculated with the virus in the medium containing IL-2 and incubated for 4 hours at 37°C. Cells were then washed and treated with either rmIL-4 or AS IL-4 ODN, which was replenished every third day (described in “Materials and methods”). × indicates no IL-4 treatment; ▴, treatment with IL-4; ⋄, with IL-4 sense ODN; ○, with IL-4 scrambled ODN; and ▵, with IL-4 antisense ODN. Sequence-specific inhibition of SHIVKU-2 replication was seen by AS IL-4 ODN in macaque PBMCs. (B) Macrophage cultures were inoculated with SHIVKU-2 and incubated at 37°C for 4 hours, after which they were rinsed 3 times and replenished with medium containing rmIL-4 (▪) or AS IL-4 ODN (▦). □ indicates no treatment with IL-4. Every third day, fresh rmIL-4 or AS IL-4 DNA was added to the cultures. Aliquots of the culture supernatant fluid were assayed for SHIV Gag p27 content by ELISA or by RT assays at different time intervals. The experiment reported is representative of a set of 3 different experiments. Two-tailed t tests were performed. *P < .05; **P < .005; ***P < .001 as compared with control infected cultures. The data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation of 3 independent experiments.
