Fig. 5: ZL0580 shows additive effects with LEDGIN CX014442 in inhibiting HIV-1 transcription and reactivation.

a, c The luciferase counts, obtained by the luciferase assay on day 11 following Fig. 3b, were normalized for the total concentration of protein (determined with BCA assay). The relative luciferase reporter expression (%) was calculated by dividing the luciferase counts normalized for protein content (BCA assay) from the ZL0580-treated cells by those from the control (0 μM ZL0580). This was calculated separately for each concentration of CX014442 and for non-reactivated (light grey) (a) and reactivated cells (dark grey) (b). Mean ± SD of 2 biological duplicates of 1 representative experiment out of 7 are shown (n = 2). b, d Using the Combenefit software, experimental 3D dose-response curves of the drug combination of CX014442 and ZL0580 were generated, expressed as a percentage of the control (0 μM CX014442 and ZL0580). The curve is covered with a color code according to synergy/antagonism scores, calculated with the Bliss Synergy model. The matrix shows the value of the synergy/antagonism scores. A synergy score below -10 indicates antagonism, a synergy scores between -10 and 10 indicates additivity and a synergy score higher than 10 indicates synergy. This is shown for both the non-reactivated (b) and the TNF-α reactivated cells (d). The average results from 2 biological duplicates of 1 representative experiment out of 7 are shown (n = 2). Statistics were not performed due to limited number of datapoints. Figures are created with Combenefit⁵⁶. Source data are provided in the source data file. BCA, bicinchoninic acid; ns, non-significant; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α; 3D, 3-dimensional.