This project has been concerned with the application of the Baylis-Hillman methodology to the synthesis of medicinally important diketo acid analogues (cinnamate ester-AZT conjugates and 3-hydroxy ester-AZT conjugates) as dual-action HIV-1 IN/RT inhibitors; and on exploratory studies in the preparation of 3-(amidomethyl)-(1H)-2-quinolones as PR inhibitors; and (1H)-2- quinolone-AZT conjugates as dual action IN/RT inhibitors. A series of Baylis-Hillman adducts has been prepared, typically in moderate to excellent yield, by reacting 2-nitrobenzaldehyde with methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate and methyl vinyl ketone in the presence of 1,4- diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). Subsequently, various transformations that include conjugate addition of primary and secondary amines to the α,ß-unsaturated moiety to obtain 2- (aminomethyl)-3-hydroxy-3-(2-nitrophenyl)propanoate derivatives, effective SN2´ substitution of the BH ß-hydroxy by a Vilsmeier-Haack in situ-generated chloride to afford Baylis-Hillman allyl chlorides, iron in acetic acid-catalyzed cyclisation to 3-acetoxymethyl-(1H)-2-quinolone derivatives were achieved. Thus, using the Baylis-Hillman methodology, two nuanced classes of diketo acid analogues were constructed. These involved conjugating appropriate propargylamine derivatives with AZT using the „click‟ reaction. In an exploratory study, the quinolone derivative, precisely 3-acetoxymethyl- (1H)-quinol-2-one, was transformed into 3-hydroxymethyl-(1H)-quinol-2-one using potassium carbonate in a mixture of methanol and water (1:1). Following successful hydrolysis, the resulting alcohol was transformed to the corresponding chloride, 3-chloromethyl-(1H)-quinol-2- one, using thionyl chloride. Subsequent nucleophilic substitution afforded 3-(aminomethyl)- (1H)-2-quinolone derivatives which were subsequently transformed to 3-(amidomethyl)-(1H)-2- quinolones; and 3-[(propargylamino)-methyl]-(1H)-quinol-2-one as precursors to quinolone- AZT derivatives. All compounds were characterized by NMR, IR, and where appropriate, high resolution MS

This study is aimed at exploring the psychosocial needs and problems experienced by black African women with HIV/AIDS and their families. In order to address these needs and problems it is necessary to determine what HIV/AIDS is, how it is transmitted and what the reasons may be for African women’s vulnerability to acquire HIV. Since the family members of the African woman with HIV/AIDS is also affected by the appearance of the illness it is important to look at needs and problems that may arise in the family. Addressing both the needs of the African woman with HIV/AIDS and that of the family members is of great importance, since these problems cannot be separated and addressed individually. The research methodology applied in this study was firstly defined, after which the various literature chapters followed with descriptions of important concepts and the discussion of HIV/AIDS related aspects. The above-mentioned provide the necessary background and knowledge whereby insight of the needs and problems experienced by African women with HIV/AIDS and their families is possible, as well as how these needs can be addressed. Research findings were schematically r4epresented and thoroughly discussed to determine if there were any comparisons with the assumptions of the study that indicate that African women with HIV/AIDS and their families experience financial- and psychosocial problems because of HIV/AIDS, and serious pressure is placed on them because of these problems. Some guidelines for HIV-counselling were also compiled by integrating the literature study, the research findings and experience in practice. These guidelines show that there are various problems in the different phases of HIV-counselling, that demand specific knowledge and insight from the counsellor in addressing these needs. Lastly a general summary, conclusions and recommendations were made with reference to relevant findings of the study. It was found that specific sexual behaviour among African men and women promote the rapid spread of HIV, and that African men and women should be empowered to prevent the spreading of HIV through relevant information. It also seemed that social welfare organisations are not visible in affected communities and should promote the services they deliver by introducing these services into the affected communities. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Background: Natural products have been a rich source for the discovery of lead compounds in modern drug discovery. 6,7'-Cyclolignans are a class of secondary metabolites which are widely distributed in more than 20 families. This important class of lignans continue to attract the interest of the pharmaceutical industry owing to their remarkable biological benefits, particularly for their anti-tumor and antiviral properties. Arylnaphthalene lignans (ANLs) belong to 6,7'-cyclolignans which contain a 2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-naphthalene core structure. ANLs are widely distributed in plants. Justicia cf. patentiflora was identified as an anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) plant lead through the screening of more than 3,500 plant extracts. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the methanol extract of the stems and barks of this plant has led to the isolation of three ANL glycoside compounds, which displayed potent inhibitory activity against broad HIV clinical strains with EC50 values in the range of 14-37 nM [Zidovudine (AZT): 77-95 nM]. They also showed significant inhibitory effects against drug-resistance HIV strains. Thus, the ANL glycosides have high potential as lead molecules for the development of new therapeutic drugs for HIV/AIDS. Objectives: 1) To establish an efficient route for the total synthesis of ANL compounds and to synthesize a library of ANL compounds through the established total synthetic approach; 2) To evaluate the cytotoxicities and anti-HIV activities of the synthesized ANLs; 3) To elucidate the structure activity relationship (SAR) of ANLs as a basis for the optimization of drug efficacy, improvement of pharmacokinetic properties as well as minimization of the toxicity of ANLs; 4) To synthesize potent anti-HIV ANL molecules with high selectivity. Methods: To achieve these objectives, a synthetic route for ANL was designed and a broad series of ANL derivatives were synthesized via modifications of rings A and B, as well as the functionalities at C-7. The synthesized compounds had been evaluated for their toxicity and antiviral activities. Cytotoxicity was determined using the SRB (Sulforhodamine B) assay, while anti-HIV activity was evaluated by utilizing the "One-Stone-Two-Birds" protocol. Results: We have accomplished the total synthesis of the key intermediate diphyllin with more than 20 g. Our modification of ANL derivatives focused on substitutions, additions and different configurations of the C-7 position, ring A and ring B. Specifically, the different structural components of the ANLs were systematically modified, resulting in the formation of six groups of compounds. A total of 72 ANL compounds with various functional groups were synthesized. Their structures have been confirmed by the MS and NMR spectral data. All the synthesized ANL compounds were purified to have purity ≥ 95%. The SAR of ANL compounds was revealed based on the analysis of the antiviral and cytotoxicity data of these synthetic analogues. After structural modification, all the modified derivatives based on rings A and B (groups 1 and 2) showed activity reduction in terms of both cytotoxic and anti-HIV activities. However, the modification of C-7 yielded divergent results, which included the groups of 3-6. Most compounds in groups 3-5 displayed comparable inhibitory effect with diphyllin (5). Group 6 represents the largest number of analogues among the six groups. In this group, the stereochemical properties and functionalization of the hydroxy groups on the sugar units are essential for their activities. Among these series of derivatives, compound 17b showed significant high potency of anti-HIV activity with an EC50 value of 2.6 nM and SI of 815. Conclusion: Using the synthesized diphyllin as the key intermediate, a compound library of 72 ANL derivatives was obtained. These compounds have been evaluated for their cytotoxicity and anti-HIV activity. Our bioactivity data revealed that the functionalization of the C-7 hydroxy group could significantly reduce the cytotoxicity and increase anti-HIV activity, while the modification on rings A and B would rather result in the reduction of both cytotoxicity and anti-HIV activity. Subsequently, novel diphyllin glycosides containing various sugar moieties were further synthesized. Several of these ANL analogues showed high anti-HIV activity with EC50 values in the nM range and low cytotoxicity (selective indices > 500). Future Perspective: This study clearly suggests ANLs as anti-HIV lead compounds and they have high potential to be developed as therapeutic drugs for the treatment of HIV. To further confirm the antiviral potential of ANLs, live HIV strains including some drug resistant strains should be further investigated. Although our data have shown that the ANL compounds are targeting the viral post-entry stages, their antiviral molecular targets are still unknown. However, since our SAR information has clearly revealed that the substitution of rings A and B are not involve in the antiviral activity for enhancing ANL compounds, the carbon positions in these rings may be explored to link a biotin unit, which can be used as a viable approach to pull down the antiviral target proteins of ANLs. Once the target proteins are identified, molecular docking is then made possible for a rational synthetic design to fine tune the chemical structures of ANLs in order to improve their antiviral properties such as high antiviral activity, low toxicity and enhanced water solubility. A further step to advance ANLs as anti-HIV drugs is the investigation of their drug properties in in vivo studies including the assessment of their anti-HIV efficacy in the rhesus model as well as obtaining their pharmacokinetic and safety parameters. These studies will help to provide more evidence about the anti-viral properties of ANLs

Since the early 1980's, when HIV was first recognized in the U.S., the HIV disease epidemic has undergone many changes. It is no longer considered a disease of gay men, but is now the fourth leading cause of death in women aged 25 to 44. Worldwide, HIV transmission through vaginal or anal intercourse among heterosexuals has increased rapidly, and women are at a greater risk of infection from vaginal intercourse than are men. In particular, African American women comprise a large percentage of the population with HIV disease, raising an important question: Why are a disproportionate number of African American women infected with HIV? The purpose of this study is to examine selected factors that have been associated with non-compliant behavior in HIV prevention in African American women, such as partner influences, gender-related factors, and acculturation. The methodology used is a literature review of relevant research articles and scholarly works published between the years 1990 and 1999.

Submiltted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg • Johannesburg 1993. / The roles of the highly conserved aspartic acid residues found at positions 443 and 498 within the RNase H domain of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 reverse transcription were investigated by the defined substitution of these residues using site-directed mutagenesis. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT2016

The use of mathematical models in studying disease epidemics can be diverse, from the focused study of the role of a single determinant of the epidemic, or to the overall estimation of morbidity and mortality. In using simple deterministic models, a balance is struck between biological and social complexities, and the high data input demands of mathematical models. This thesis aims to apply the use of deterministic mathematical models to the studies of HIV and hepatitis C epidemiology in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia, about 85% of reported HIV cases are among homosexual men. Casual homosexual partnerships made up 40% of incident HIV cases in 1995 increasing to 65% in 2004. In the state of New South Wales, it was estimated that over 7,500 people were living with HIV/AIDS in 2005, increasing to over 10,000 by 2016 with existing levels of intervention. Intervention measures were estimated to have prevented some 44,500 cases, the majority being among injecting drug users through the Needle and Syringe Programmes. Models for the HIV epidemics in developing countries were also developed incorporating multiple routes of HIV transmission. For Papua New Guinea, it was estimated 64,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in 2005, rising to over 500,000 by 2025 with current levels of intervention. High levels of interventions, in particular increased condom use, will be required to achieve a stabilisation or reduction in HIV prevalence. In East Timor, the HIV epidemic is still in the early stages with 138 people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, rising to 5,000 by 2025 with minimal intervention. For HCV, models of the epidemic in Australia showed HCV incidence peaking in 1999, followed by a decline reaching 9,700 incident cases in 2005. Of 197,000 estimated chronic HCV cases in 2005, 58% had stage F 0/1 liver disease, 15% F 2/3 liver disease, and 2% HCV-related cirrhosis. Models estimated 210 and 105 people developed HCV-related liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Comparisons of modelled HCV long-term sequelae projections with linkage data showed relatively good agreement, despite discrepancies in liver-related deaths. To decrease the number of chronic HCV, at least a tripling of treatment coverage would be required. These models provide estimates of the current levels of epidemics as well as projections of future scenarios under different intervention strategies, which have an important role in the planning of strategies, as well as assessment of previous epidemic conditions.

"February, 2002" / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-182) / xiv, 182, [26] leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, 2002

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. Directed by Paul G. Farnham. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 127).

The development and optimization of anti-viral screening methods are essential to develop newer more effective, treatments against HIV. The XTT method is a widely described method for antiviral screening. Both continuous HIVinfected cells and experimentally infected T-cells have been used in the XTT assay. We compared these methods to screen several plant-derived extracts for cytotoxicity. Several considerations were taken into account when performing these tests (effect of media, solvents and plant enymes). Experiments were performed to investigate these effects. In addition, p24 and viral load quantification were compared as antiviral screening methods. The study showed that several modifications were necessary when performing the XTT assay on plant extracts, due to the effect of media, solvents and plant enymes. The XTT assays and p24 assays performed using experimentally infected cells are far more specific than those using chronically infected cells. The use of viral loads as an antiviral screening method consistently demonstrated the expected efficacy of AZT. / Thesis(MMed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

According to the 2012 UNAIDS global report, sub-Saharan Africa hosts 69% of the world’s total population living with HIV, South Africa being the most affected with a reported 24% incidence rate. To date, extensive research is being conducted globally, particularly involving anti-HIV treatment that targets the retroviral enzymes: reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease. The discovery of inhibitors to HIV protease which disrupts virion protein assembly has made this enzyme a prime target of anti-retroviral therapies, thus there exists a concerted research initiative to identify compounds with HIV protease inactivation potential. This study employs HIV protease that is isolated and purified from a genetically modified HIV protease overexpressing Escherichia coli strain to monitor the inhibitory capacity of new lead compounds. Optimized growth conditions for HIV protease production displayed that the use of chemically defined media resulted in higher yields of the enzyme. Recent research studies have shown that peptide-based cage and glycosylated compounds displayed HIV protease inhibitor activity in cell free enzymatic reactions that are comparable to commercially available HIV protease inhibitors. However, in contrast it has also been reported that these inhibitors are inactive in whole T-cell assays, when employing HIV infected CD4 cells. It is a well-known fact that potential new chemical entities that do not possess oral bioavailability, in terms of their absorption properties, are not successful candidates within the drug discovery industry. Following this, the current study was designed to determine if inefficient membrane permeability of these promising anti-HIV protease lead compounds could result in their inactivity in whole T-cell assays. Two different methods were considered, a cell-based method using the Madin Darby Canine Kidney strain I (MDCKI) cell line and a non-cell based method, the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). MDCKI cells have been extensively used to form monolayers that mimic human intestinal membranes whilst the PAMPA utilizes an artificial lipid membrane composition on a filter support. Data from permeability assays using the novel chemically synthesized inhibitors have been compared to commercially available drugs, antipyrine, metoprolol and caffeine, which displayed efficient membrane permeability characteristics, thereby validating the assay. The results indicated that novel cage-derived and glycosylated peptide inhibitors do not possess sufficient passive diffusion properties which may explain their inactivity in whole T-cell assays. / M.Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.