Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Propagating and Detecting an Infectious Molecular Clone of Maedi-visna Virus that Expresses Green Fluorescent Protein
08:49

Propagating and Detecting an Infectious Molecular Clone of Maedi-visna Virus that Expresses Green Fluorescent Protein

Published on: October 9, 2011

AZT inhibits Visna/maedi virus-induced apoptosis

V Bellet1, R Duval, S Delebassée

  • 1Faculté de Pharmacie, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Limoges, France.

Archives of Virology
|March 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

3' azido-2',3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) inhibits visna/maedi virus-induced apoptosis in sheep cells. AZT blocks all viral-induced apoptotic pathways, including caspase activation and AIF release.

Area of Science:

  • Neurovirology
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Visna/maedi virus (VMV) causes encephalitis and demyelination in sheep.
  • VMV infection induces apoptosis in sheep choroid plexus cells (SCPC) through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.
  • The anti-apoptotic effects of 3' azido-2',3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), an HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor, on retrovirus-induced apoptosis are unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the broad-range effect of AZT on inhibiting VMV-induced apoptosis in SCPC.
  • To determine if AZT can block the different apoptotic pathways activated by VMV infection.

Main Methods:

  • Apoptosis detection using DAPI staining and DNA laddering.
  • Assessing caspase cascade inhibition via caspase activity assays (caspase-3, -8, -9) and in situ labeling (FITC-VAD-FMK).
  • Immunocytochemistry to detect apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) release.

Main Results:

  • AZT treatment inhibited morphological changes and DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis.
  • AZT significantly reduced caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities and blocked FITC-VAD-FMK labeling.
  • AZT inhibited the release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from SCPC during VMV infection.

Conclusions:

  • AZT exhibits broad-spectrum anti-apoptotic effects against VMV-induced cell death.
  • AZT effectively blocks both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, as well as AIF-mediated apoptosis.
  • These findings suggest AZT's potential in managing retroviral infections that trigger apoptosis.

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death10:23

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

Identification of Mediators of T-cell Receptor Signaling via the Screening of Chemical Inhibitor Libraries08:49

Identification of Mediators of T-cell Receptor Signaling via the Screening of Chemical Inhibitor Libraries

Published on: January 22, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
Inhibition of CDK Activity02:34

Inhibition of CDK Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...