Comparison of the antiviral activity and toxicity of a protein magnesium ammonium phospholinoleate anhydride polymer with other antiviral drugs

ABSTRACT

1. SB-73, a magnesium ammonium phospholinoleate anhydride aggregate, exhibited antiviral action in vitro in the concentration range of 50 to 100 µg/ml against herpes simplex type 1, stomatitis vesicular virus, adenovirus type 5, and in vivo in the dose range of 0.7 to 1.3 mg/Kg against canine parvovirus distemper virus. 2. The lethal dose (LD50) was 2.71 ñ 1.55 g/Kg body weight in mice inoculated intraperitoneally. Oral ingestion of the aggregate up to 30 g/Kg body weight by mice had no lethal effects during the 14 days of observation. 3. In in vitro cytotoxicity experiments with fibroblasts (V-79 Chinese hamster cell line), no toxic effects were observed with SB-73 concentrations (120 µg/ml) having antiviral activity. 4. In a cellular proliferation experimental using hamster V-79 cells, we observed 72% proliferation after treatment of the cells with a high concentration (500 µg/ml) of SB-73. 5. Compound SB-73 showed no genotoxicity for human lymphocytes at concentrations of 100 µg/ml. 6. When the cytoxicity and genotoxicity of SB-73 wee compared with those of acyclovir, idoxuridine and AZT at 500µg/ml concentration the compound was found to have effects similar to those of acyclovir