Fetal peripheral blood cells efficiently metabolize AZT.

2003 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Fetal peripheral blood cells efficiently metabolize the antiretroviral agent zidovudine, better known as AZT.

In a recent study, researchers in Israel "compared the phosphorylation rate of 3'-azidothymidine (AZT) in isolated maternal and fetal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with that in amniocytes obtained during gestation and at term."

"Maternal PBMCs were isolated from venous blood samples obtained from HIV-seronegative pregnant women during delivery. Immediately after delivery, cord blood specimens were collected, and fetal PBMCs were isolated," according to R. Agbaria and coauthors at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. "In a separate set of experiments, maternal and fetal PBMCs and amniocytes were obtained at 17-21 weeks of gestation."

In these experiments, "the fresh isolated PBMCs and amniocytes were maintained in RPMI 1640 medium until incubation with 10 microM tritiated AZT (10 microCi/mL)," they noted. "Thereafter, methanolic cell extracts were prepared for determination of AZT phosphates by high-performance liquid chromatography."

"Fetal PBMCs can efficiently convert AZT to its antivirally active metabolite," test results revealed. "There were no significant differences after six or 12 hours of incubation with AZT between AZT phosphate levels in maternal and fetal PBMCs isolated at term or at 17-21 weeks of gestation: AZT monophosphate was found to ...