Fentanyl enhances HIV infection in vitro

  • Virology. 2022 Dec:577:43-50. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.10.004.
Jie Yan  1 ,  Dong-Hang Nie  2 ,  Cheng-Si Bai  1 ,  Abdul Rehman  1 ,  An Yang  1 ,  Xiao-Li Mou  1 ,  Yu-Qing Zhang  1 ,  Ying-Qi Xu  1 ,  Qing-Qing Xiang  1 ,  Yu-Ting Ren  1 ,  Jia-le Xu  1 ,  Mei-Rong Wang  1 ,  Yong Feng  1 ,  Xiao-Ping Chen  1 ,  Yong Xiong  1 ,  Hai-Tao Hu  3 ,  Hai-Rong Xiong  4 ,  Wei Hou  5
Affiliations
  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology/ Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences/Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, China.
  • 2. Blood Center of Wuhan, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
  • 3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
  • 4. State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology/ Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences/Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5. State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology/ Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences/Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, China; Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, South Keyuan Road, Scien&Tech Garden, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36279602 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.10.004
Abstract

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has a high tendency among illicit drug abusers. Recently, it is reported that abuse of fentanyl, a potent synthetic μ receptor-stimulating opioid, is an independent risk factor for HIV-1 Infection. However, the mechanism of action in augmenting HIV-1 Infection still remains elusive. In this study, we found that fentanyl enhanced Infection of HIV-1 in MT2 cells, primary macrophages and Jurkat C11 cells. Fentanyl up-regulated CXCR4 and CCR5 receptor expression, which facilitated the entry of virion into host cells. In addition, it down-regulated interferon-β (IFN-β) and interferon-stimulated genes (APOBEC3F, APOBEC3G and MxB) expression in MT2 cells. Our findings identify an essential role of fentanyl in the positive regulation of HIV-1 Infection via the upregulation of co-receptors (CXCR4/CCR5) and downregulation of IFN-β and ISGs, and it may have an important role in HIV-1 immunopathogenesis.

Keywords
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Fentanyl; Human immunodeficiency virus; Opioids; Reactivation.
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