Effects of Tenofovir on Cytokines and Nucleotidases in HIV-1 Target Cells and the Mucosal Tissue Environment in the Female Reproductive Tract
Nabanita Biswas;Marta Rodriguez-Garcia;Zheng Shen;Sarah Crist;Jack Bodwell;John Fahey;Charles Wira
Abstract
Tenofovir (TFV) is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in microbicide preexposure prophylaxis trials to prevent HIV infection. Recognizing that changes in cytokine/chemokine secretion and nucleotidase biological activity can influence female reproductive tract (FRT) immune protection against HIV infection, we tested the hypothesis that TFV regulates immune protection in the FRT. Epithelial cells, fibroblasts, CD4+ T cells, and CD14+ cells were isolated from the endometrium (Em), endocervix (C