UNLABELLED Vaginal HIV microbicides offer great promise in preventing HIV transmission, but failures of phase 3 clinical trials, in which microbicide-treated subjects had an increased risk of HIV transmission, raised concerns about endpoints used to evaluate microbicide safety. A possible explanation for the increased transmission risk is that the agents shifted the vaginal bacterial community,...

HIV is transmitted to 6.4 million human beings per year and the majority of these transmissions are sexual. Condoms are highly effective and are recommended as the primary preventive. However, the fact that there are millions of sexual transmissions each year indicates that many people do not use condoms and that additional preventives are needed. The mechanisms of natural prevention of oral tr...

BACKGROUND The design, synthesis, characterization and evaluation of a novel series of non-detergent spermicides has led to the discovery of two unique molecules (DSE-36 and DSE-37) that were approximately 25 times more potent spermicides than nonoxynol-9 (N-9). METHODS Normal human spermatozoa were used to assess the spermicidal activity (Sander-Cramer Assay), the effect on sperm-membrane in...

Virucidal agents are chemical substances that attack and inactivate viral particles outside the cell (virions). In general this is accomplished by damaging their protein shells (capsid) or the substance penetrates the core itself, where it destroys the genetic material. Damage to the virion structure is also possible. These agents are used not only for traditional surface disinfection or steril...

Topical anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) microbicides are being sought to reduce the spread of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) during sexual intercourse. The success of this strategy depends upon the selection of formulations compatible with the natural vaginal mucosal barrier. This study applied ex vivo-modeled human cervicovaginal epithelium to evaluate experimental solid-dosage forms of the anti-H...

BACKGROUND Rational synthesis of novel structures resulted in two unique molecules (DSE-36 and DSE-37, disulphide esters of carbothioic acid) that killed sperm 25 times more strongly and with a precisely targeted action than nonoxynol-9 (N-9). We examine the effects of DSE-36 and DSE-37 on human spermatozoa versus HeLa cells to establish specificity and safety compared with N-9. METHODS AND R...

The sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is facilitated by inflammation and related epithelial barrier perturbation. Microbicides for vaginal applications are currently being developed to reduce the risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, little is known about their interference with epithelial immune function. In recent clinical trials, nonoxynol-9 (N-9), a virucide ...

The HET-CAM (Hen's Egg Test-Chorioallantoic Membrane) assay is an in vitro alternative to the in vivo Draize Rabbit Eye test that mimics vascular changes in the chorioallantoic membrane. This qualitative method assesses the irritancy potential of chemicals. The CAM responds to injury with an inflammatory process similar to that in the rabbit eye's conjunctival tissue. Regarding topical toxicity...