Antiviral action of carbonyl-conjugated pentaene macrolides

Clear antiviral activity of carbonyl-conjugated pentaene macrolides, such as flavofungin, mycothicin, brunefungin and flavopentin was shown on models with infectious and oncogenic viruses. The antibiotics were active against influenza A and B virus. The effect was most pronounced in the in vitro and in ovo systems. On a model of experimental influenza infection of mice with the lethal outcome, antiinfluenzal activity of flavofungin was comparable to that of remantadin. However, unlike the latter one flavofungin and brunefungin inhibited the growth of influenza B virus. The drugs had a pronounced inhibitory effect on variolavaccine virus and prevented formation of foci of cell neoplastic transformation infected with various strains of Rous sarcoma virus.     

Anti-influenza effect of bacterial RNAse and the pharmacokinetic basis of its administration in experimental studies

Anti-influenzal action of bacterial and pancreatic RNAases was studied. It was shown in ovo that the RNAases had distinct virus inhibiting activity with respect to various strains of the grippe A virus and did not practically differ by their activity from remantadin but unlike it had inhibitory action on the grippe B virus. The anti-influenzal activity of bacterial RNAase in contrast to pancreatic one was detected not only in experiments with developing chick embryos but also in albino mice with lethal influenzal infection. The index of the animal protection by the preparation amounted to 54-90 per cent depending on the virus infecting dose and RNAase administration route, the lifespan of the animals being increased by 2.4 to 3.8 days. It was shown that the anti-influenzal effect of bacterial RNAase correlated with high levels of the exogenic enzyme in blood of the animals after the preparation intravenous administration. Elimination of RNAase was observed already within the first 4 hours after the experiment start. Intranasal administration allowed to increase the residence time of RNAase in blood up to 8 hours at the account of its gradual absorption from the administration site and the preparation availability increased more than 2-fold. The results provided the basis for recommending the intranasal route of bacterial RNAase administration for use in further investigation of RNAase antiviral activity.     

Broad-spectrum antiviral effect of Agrimonia pilosa extract on influenza viruses

Influenza virus continues to emerge and re-emerge, posing new threats for humans. Here we tested various Korean medicinal plant extracts for potential antiviral activity against influenza viruses. Among them, an extract of Agrimonia pilosa was shown to be highly effective against all three subtypes of human influenza viruses including H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A subtypes and influenza B virus. The EC₅₀ value against influenza A virus, as tested by the plaque reduction assay on MDCK cells, was 14–23 μg/ml. The extract also exhibited a virucidal effect at a concentration of 160–570 ng/ml against influenza A and B viruses when the viruses were treated with the extract prior to plaque assay. In addition, when tested in embryonated chicken eggs the extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect in ovo on the H9N2 avian influenza virus at a concentration of 280 ng/ml. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis data showed that the extract, to some degree, suppressed viral RNA synthesis in MDCK cells. HI and inhibition of neuraminidase were observed only at high concentrations of the extract. And yet, the extract's antiviral activity required direct contact between it and the virus, suggesting that its antiviral action is mediated by the viral membrane, but does not involve the two major surface antigens, HA and NA, of the virus. The broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Agrimonia pilosa extract on various subtypes of influenza viruses merits further investigation as it may provide a means of managing avian influenza infections in poultry farms and potential avian-human transmission.     

Substituted Sialic Acid Prosthetic Groups as Determinants of Viral Hemagglutination

Inhibitors of hemagglutination by type A2 influenza virus and a recently isolated strain of type B influenza virus were separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and agarose gel filtration from horse serum. Using selected reagents, it was demonstrated that the active substituent on the horse serum inhibitor of A2 influenza virus was 4-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid; however, the active substituent on the inhibitor of the influenza B virus was shown to be N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA). Sodium metaperiodate treatment of a component of horse serum resulted in a 10 to 15-fold enhancement of inhibitory activity against the type B virus, whereas the A2 inhibitor was completely destroyed. Since this enhancement did not occur with influenza B viruses isolated prior to 1965, it was considered that this sensitivity to an oxidized NANA glycoside may have been a reflection of an antigenic change which occurred at that time. The use of different virus strains and selected chemical reagents to define the important sialic acid prosthetic groups active in inhibition was described.     

Changes in the membrane ATPase activity of erythrocytes and Candida guilliermondii under the action of roseofungin

Changes in the Mg-ATPase and Na, K-ATPase activity of the rat erythrocyte and Candida guilliermondii membranes under the effect of roseofungin were studied. The antibiotic was totally bound to the isolated plasmatic membranes of Candida guilliermondii, up to 3 micrograms of the antibiotic per 1 microgram of the yeast protein. The Mg-APTase activity of these membranes was slightly inhibited by the antibiotic. The activity of Na, K-ATPase was almost completely inhibited even at 0.04 mg of roseofungin per 1 mg of protein. Much higher concentrations of the antibiotic inhibited the Mg-ATPase and Na, K-ATPase activity of the erythrocyte membranes to a less extent.     

Effect of the polyene antibiotic, roseofungin, on the liberation of the intracellular components from Candida guilliermondii cells and from rat erythrocytes]

Liberation of inorganic ions (potassium and phosphorus), nucleotides and protein from the cells of Candida guilliermondii and rat erythrocytes was studied. It was found that leakage of these components depended on the incubation time, antibiotic dose and amount of the cell material. The potassium ions proved to be most sensitive to the antibiotic: even at low concentrations of roseofungin (2-4 microgram/ml) the amount of the intracellular potassium changed. A decrease in the dry mass and volume concentration in the cells of Candida guilliermondii and lysis in the red blood cells were observed in addition to the leakage of the above intracellular components. The cells of Candida guiliermondii at the beginning of the semilogarithmic growth phase were especially sensitive to roseofungin. The coefficient of roseofungin distribution in the cells of Candida guiliermondü was evaluated. The maximum distribution coefficient was observed at roseofungin concentrations of 40 and 80 microgram/ml for the 4- and 18-hour cultures respectively. Therefore, the effect of roseofungin is characteristic of polyens.     

Experimental study of the antiviral properties of antibiotic 6734-21]

The effect of antibiotic 6734-21 on the viruses of variolovaccine, Herpes simplex, influenza and classical avian plague was studied on various experimental models. Antibiotic 6734-21 inhibited development of the variolovaccine virus in the tissue culture, in chick embryos, in rabbits with variolovaccine infection, as well as the development of the viruses of Herpes simplex, Aueski, and Newcastle diseases in the tissue culture. It had a virulicidic effect on the viruses of variolovaccine, influenza and classical avian plague.     

Antiviral action of carminomycin and some of its derivatives]

Carminomycin was shown to inhibit the development of both the DNA-containing variolovaccine virus and the RNA-containing grippe virus in chick embryos. Comparison of the effects of rubomycin, carminomycin, 14-oxy-carminomycin and carminomycin complex with bovine serum albumin in experiments with chick embryos showed that the inhibitory effect of carminomycin and its derivatives on the development of the grippe virus was much higher than that of rubomycin. The carminomycin derivatives proved to be much more active in this respect than the initial antibiotic. Carminomycin and its derivatives had a therapeutic effect on mice with experimental grippe pneumonia also on their oral use.     

Effects of Clinacanthus siamensis leaf extract on influenza virus infection

Ethanolic extracts of 20 medicinal plants were screened for influenza virus NA inhibition and in vitro antiviral activities using MDCK cells in an MTT assay. The vaccine proteins of influenza virus A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), mouse-adapted influenza virus A/Guizhou/54/89 (A/G)(H3N2) and mouse-adapted influenza virus B/Ibaraki/2/85 (B/I) were used in the NA inhibition assay, and mouse-adapted influenza viruses A/PR/8/34 (H1N1), A/G and B/I were used in the in vitro antiviral assay. The results of the in vitro antiviral assay indicated that the A/G virus was the most susceptible and an extract of the leaf of CS possessed the highest in vitro anti-A/G virus activity (41.98%). Therefore, the A/G virus and the CS extract were selected for studying in vivo anti-influenza virus activity. BALB/c mice were treated with CS extract (100 mg/kg per day, 5 times) orally from 4 hr before to 4 days after infection. CS extract elicited significant production of anti-influenza virus IgG₁ antibody in BAW and increased mouse weight compared to oseltamivir (0.1 mg/kg per day) on day 19 or water on days 17–19 of infection. Moreover, CS extract produced a higher anti-influenza virus IgA antibody level in BAW compared to oseltamivir, and a tendency towards an increase in anti-influenza virus IgA compared to water was shown. The results suggest that CS extract has a protective effect against influenza virus infection.     

蛋氨酸脑啡肽（MEK）抗B型流感病毒感染作用的研究

研究MEK抗B型流感病毒感染的作用。采用MDCK细胞和9～10日龄鸡胚,按不同的顺序加入不同剂量MEK和B型流感病毒,共培养72 h后做血凝实验。所有加入B型流感病毒的MDCK细胞均培养出病毒,HA滴度为1：64。在鸡胚尿囊腔中,先注入MEK孵育24 h后,再注入B型流感病毒的鸡胚也培养出病毒,HA滴度为1：6.8,与病毒对照组比较P〈0.01,有统计学意义。实验结果未见MEK直接抗B型流感病毒感染MDCK细胞株的作用,但可见MEK抗B型流感病毒感染鸡胚的作用。     

Inhibition of Sindbis virus plaque formation by extracts of Escherichia coli

Vilcek, Jan (New York University School of Medicine, New York, N.Y.), and John H. Freer. Inhibition of Sindbis virus plaque formation by extracts of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 92:1716-1722. 1966.-Extracts prepared from washed cells of Escherichia coli B by sonic treatment and subsequent filtration through a 0.45-mu membrane filter significantly inhibited plaque formation with Sindbis virus in cultures or primary chick embryo cells up to a dilution of 1:20,000. The inhibitor acted on the cells rather than directly on the virus. The inhibiting substance was nondialyzable. Treatment of crude extracts with nucleases, trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin, or ether had no effect on the activity. Treatment with pronase destroyed the virus-inhibiting effect. Extracts prepared from two strains of E. coli B and one strain of E. coli K-12 all showed inhibitory activity against Sindbis virus. The inhibitor was present in the cytoplasmic fraction of bacteria. It was also active against Sindbis virus in human cells and showed some activity against vesicular stomatitis and vaccinia viruses in different types of cells. Interferon was not shown to be involved in the inhibition, although actinomycin D partially reversed the inhibitory activity of the extracts.     

Monoclonal antibody, but not synthetic peptide, targeting the ectodomain of influenza B virus M2 proton channel has antiviral activity

The proton channels of influenza A virus (A/M2) and influenza B virus (BM2) are essential for viral replication. Previously we have shown that monoclonal antibodies targeting the ectodomain of the A/M2 proton channel have antiviral activity in vitro. In this study, we generated both monoclonal antibody and phage displayed peptide against the eight amino acids comprising the ectodomain of the BM2 proton channel and investigated their antiviral activities in vitro. A cytopathic assay showed that the monoclonal antibody potently protected MDCK cells from homologous, but not heterologous, virus infections. A plaque forming assay showed that viral replication was not completely neutralized, but greatly inhibited, by the monoclonal antibody. In contrast, no antiviral activity was observed for the synthetic native or engineered peptides. These results indicate that antibody targeting the M2 proton channel is a promising therapeutic candidate for treating influenza virus infections, and that antibody structure is important for antiviral activity.     

Activity of recombinant human alpha interferon against influenza virus infection in mice

The in vivo antiviral activity of recombinant human leukocyte hybrid interferon, HuIFN-alpha AD, was examined. Results showed that this material in highly purified form did not protect mice against a lethal dose of influenza virus, although administration of natural MuIFN-alpha/beta to mice infected with a lethal dose of influenza virus had a marked protective effect. The effect of alveolar macrophages treated with IFN on influenza virus replication was examined in vitro. The antiviral activity of alveolar macrophages treated with HuIFN-alpha AD was lower than that of MuIFN-alpha/beta. It is concluded that HuIFN-alpha AD is effective in direct inhibition of influenza virus, but not in indirect inhibition mediated by alveolar macrophages or in protection of mice from influenza virus infection.     

Antimycotic-antibiotic amphotericin B promotes influenza virus replication in cell culture

In general, antibiotics are not rated as substances that inhibit or support influenza virus replication. We describe here the enhancing effect of the polyene antibiotic amphotericin B (AmB) on influenza virus growth in Vero cells. We show that isolation rates of influenza A and B viruses from clinical samples can be dramatically enhanced by adding AmB to the culture medium. We demonstrate that AmB promotes the viral uptake and endocytic processing of the virus particles. This effect is specific for Vero and human nasal epithelial cells and was not observed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The effect of AmB was subtype specific and more prominent for human seasonal influenza strains but absent for H5N1 human viruses. The AmB-enhancing effect seemed to be solely due to the viral hemagglutinin function. Our results indicate that the use of AmB may facilitate influenza virus isolation and production in Vero cells.     

重配技术构建高产H1N1型流感疫苗病毒株

目的以经典重配技术制备高产H1N1流感疫苗病毒株。方法以野生型A1/云南昆明/03/2009(H1N1)作为HA及NA基因的供体株,以WHO疫苗株A/Perth/16/2009(H3N2)作为高产基因供体株,共同感染SPF鸡胚,经抗H3及抗N2血清中和筛选法及终末稀释法筛选高产重配H1N1病毒。结果获得一株重配H1N1流感病毒株,病毒血凝滴度为1∶4 096,病毒滴度为7.8 lg EID50/mL,显示为鸡胚高产病毒株;血凝抑制结果为1∶1 024,单向免疫扩散试验结果为阳性,证明抗原性与野生株一致;基因测序结果表明重配株的HA及NA基因序列与野生株序列一致。结论构建了高产重配H1H1流感疫苗病毒株,并应用经典重配技术建立了制备高产流感疫苗病毒株的技术平台。     

Identification of a PA-Binding Peptide with Inhibitory Activity against Influenza A and B Virus Replication

There is an urgent need for new drugs against influenza type A and B viruses due to incomplete protection by vaccines and the emergence of resistance to current antivirals. The influenza virus polymerase complex, consisting of the PB1, PB2 and PA subunits, represents a promising target for the development of new drugs. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of targeting the protein-protein interaction domain between the PB1 and PA subunits of the polymerase complex of influenza A virus using a small peptide derived from the PA-binding domain of PB1. However, this influenza A virus-derived peptide did not affect influenza B virus polymerase activity. Here we report that the PA-binding domain of the polymerase subunit PB1 of influenza A and B viruses is highly conserved and that mutual amino acid exchange shows that they cannot be functionally exchanged with each other. Based on phylogenetic analysis and a novel biochemical ELISA-based screening approach, we were able to identify an influenza A-derived peptide with a single influenza B-specific amino acid substitution which efficiently binds to PA of both virus types. This dual-binding peptide blocked the viral polymerase activity and growth of both virus types. Our findings provide proof of principle that protein-protein interaction inhibitors can be generated against influenza A and B viruses. Furthermore, this dual-binding peptide, combined with our novel screening method, is a promising platform to identify new antiviral lead compounds.     

Effect of Antibody to Neuraminidase on the Maturation and Hemagglutinating Activity of an Influenza A2 Virus

Antiserum to a recombinant between an A(o) and an A(2) influenza virus had no detectable antibody against an A(2) virus in standard hemagglutination-inhibition tests, and inhibited 95% of viral neuraminidase activity at a 1 to 400 dilution. However, on mixing virus with antiserum, a drop of up to 90% in hemagglutinin titer was observed. The effects of ultrasonication and direct electron microscopic examination indicated that the antiserum caused aggregation of virus particles. When antiserum was added to A(2) virus-infected chick embryo fibroblasts, release of virus appeared markedly inhibited. After ultrasonication to disrupt aggregates, an increase in released hemagglutinin was observed, but the resulting level was considerably lower than that in control cultures containing normal rabbit serum. In thin sections of infected cells, similar numbers of virus profiles were observed in control and antiserum-treated cultures. A marked increase in release of hemagglutinin was noted if receptor-destroying enzyme was added to antiserum-treated cultures. The results indicate that antibody to neuraminidase does not exert a direct effect on viral maturation, but inhibits the detachment of viral progeny from cell surface receptors.     

The suppression of cellular Na+/H+ exchange leads to the inhibition of influenza virus activity

It was shown that amiloride, orthovanade and uabain induced almost a two-fold decrease in the rate of incubation medium oxidation by the chick embryo fibroblasts due to the Na+/H+ exchange and inhibited by more than 95 per cent the influenza virus activity. The following mechanism for inhibition of the influenza virus multiplication in the cells under the effect of the above mentioned substances was proposed: suppression of the cellular Na+/H+ exchange responsible for the decrease in pH value in the virus-carrying endosomes----prevention of the decrease in the intraendosomal pH value to the critical level----blocking of the acid dependent process of the virus uncoating----inhibition of the influenza infection as a whole.     

N-terminus of M2 protein could induce antibodies with inhibitory activity against influenza virus replication

New influenza vaccines have been designed based on the fact that the extracellular domain of M2 protein (M2e) is nearly invariant in all influenza A strains. To clarify which exact region of M2e could induce antibodies with inhibitory activities against influenza virus replication, four overlapping peptides covering M2e were synthesized and then coupled to the carrier protein bovine serum albumin through the cysteine of the peptides. After a vaccination course, all these four peptide vaccines could induce high levels of rabbit antibodies with predefined peptide specificity (antibody dilution: 1:6400-1:25600). Besides, the anti-N-terminal antibodies (AS2) reacted strongly with M2e, and reacted weakly with the middle part and C-terminus of M2e. The MDCK assay for cytopathic effect proved that antibodies recognizing the N-terminus of M2e could obviously inhibit replication of influenza A virus (A/wuhan/359/95) and influenza B virus (B/wuhan/321/99) in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, while antibodies recognizing the middle part and the C-terminus of M2e did not show such significant inhibitory activities. Sequence analysis indicates that the first nine N-terminal amino acid residues of M2e are extremely conservative. Just this region containing the first nine amino acid residues could induce antibodies with inhibitory activity against influenza A and influenza B virus replication, suggesting that the N-terminus of M2e may contain an epitope that could induce inhibitory antibodies against influenza virus replication in vitro.     

Virucidal effect of sodium p-chloromercuribenzoate on influenza viruses attributable to inhibition of virus particle-associated RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

Sodium p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) caused a noticeable reduction of infectivity of prototype strains of type A and Lee strain of type B influenza viruses at concentrations of 100 and 200 mug/ml, respectively, after an incubation at 37 C for 60 min. The virucidal effect on A/AA/2/60 (H2N2) strain was dependent on the concentration of the drug and temperature as well as on the time of incubation. The reagent exerted this effect at a concentration which induced little change in the hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activities of the virus. PCMB inhibited by 50% the virus particle-associated RNA polymerase activity of all prototype strains of type A influenza virus at about 2 mug/ml and that of Lee strain of type B influenza virus at 8.5 mug/ml. Other sulfhydryl reagent such as phenylmercuric nitrate also exhibited virucidal effect on A/AA/2/60 virus which paralleled their inhibition of the virus particle-associated RNA polymerase activity. From these results it was considered likely that the virucidal action of PCMB on influenza viruses was attributable to inhibition of the virus particle-associated RNA polymerase activity.