| abstract |
Sulfated polysaccharides, such as fucoidan, dextran sulfate, heparin and -, x- and X-carrageenans proved to be potent and selective inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 ) in vitro. No toxicity for the host cells was noted with these compounds, so that the selectivity indexes, as based on the ratio of the 50% cytotoxic dose to the 50% antiviral effective dose, were equal to or in excess of 100. n Dextran sulfates of low molecular weight (5000, 8000) exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on HIV-1 at a concentration that was not markedly inhibitory to the blood coagulation process. |