Evaluation of antiviral activity of terpenophenols and some of their N- and O-derivatives.

A comparative evaluation of the antiviral activity of a number of new and previously synthesized terpenophenols and their N- or O-containing derivatives against the A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) virus strain was carried out. 2-Isobornylphenol, 1,2-dihydroxy-6-isobornyl-4-methylbenzene, 2-isobornyl-1,4-benzoquinone, and N-butyl-4-hydroxy-3,5-diisobornylbenzamide showed the highest activity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-nitro-1,2,4-triazoloazines containing polyphenol fragments possessing antioxidant and antiviral activity.

Stable σ-adducts of azolo[5,1-c]triazines and azolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines with different polyphenols were synthesized and their antioxidant and antiviral activity were investigated. Their affinity to viral hemagglutinin was assessed using molecular modelling. The phloroglucinol-modified azolo-azines possessed the highest virus-inhibiting activity. According to the results of the study of antioxidant properties of compounds, the most promising ones exhibiting highest antioxidant capacity were adducts containing in their structure pyrogallol and catechol residues and 6-nitro-triazolotriazin-7-ol scaffold. No correlation between antioxidant and virus-inhibiting activity of compounds studied was detected. The most active compounds demonstrated the ability to prevent binding of viral hemagglutinin with cellular receptor as shown in hemagglutination inhibition assay. Our results demonstrate that polyphenol-modified azolo-azines are prospective for further optimization as potential antivirals and that their action is directed against viral hemagglutinin.

[Anti-viral activity of enisamium iodide against viruses of influenza and ARVI's on different cell lines].

Influenza and ARVI represent the most numerous and dangerous group of causative agents of respiratory infections human. AIM: Characterization of the antiviral properties of enisamium iodide against human respiratory viruses in in vitro experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the course of experiments, the cytotoxic properties of enisamium iodide were studied against the cell lines Vero, MA-104, A549, L-41 and HEp-2. The antiviral activity of enisamium iodide was studied using virus yield reduction assay against influenza viruses, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, Coxsackie B3 and Coxsackie B4 viruses, as well as adenoviruses types 5 and 6. RESULTS: The most sensitive to the action of enisamium iodide was the human parainfluenza virus, whose activity decreased by 2.3 orders of magnitude under the action of the drug in A549 cells. Of the cell cultures used, enisamium iodide exhibited the maximum antiviral effect in human lung carcinoma cells A549, where, in its presence, the level of reproduction of adenoviruses of types 5 and 6, Coxsackie viruses B3 and B4, and human parainfluenza virus decreased by an order of magnitude or more. The antiviral activity of enisamium iodide was least manifested in Vero cells. CONCLUSION: According to the results of in vitro experiments, enisamium iodide can be considered as an antiviral drug with a wide spectrum of activity against human respiratory viruses.

[The effect of combination of glycyrrhizic acid with alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan on the experimental adenoviral infection].

In this work, the activity of glycyrrhizic acid (GL) and dipeptide alpha-glutamyl-tryptophane (EW) as single preparations or in combination (GL+EW) against experimental adenoviral infection in the syrian hamsters was studied. Application of gl and GL+EW was shown to decrease the level of the adenovirus replication in liver tissue by 0.6 - 1.2 lgTCID50 depending on the composition and time point of the post infection. It was also demonstrated that normalization of the structure of the liver tissue was required, which was shown on the level of both optical and electron microscopy. The results obtained in this work suggest that gl and GL+EW may be considered as potential component of the complex therapy of adenoviral infection.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of PB1 component of the influenza A RNA polymerase peptide fragments.

This study is devoted to the antiviral activity of peptide fragments from the PB1 protein - a component of the influenza A RNA polymerase. The antiviral activity of the peptides synthesized was studied in MDCK cell cultures against the pandemic influenza strain A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) pdm09. We found that peptide fragments 6-13, 6-14, 26-30, 395-400, and 531-540 of the PB1 protein were capable of suppressing viral replication in cell culture. Terminal modifications i.e. N-acetylation and C-amidation increased the antiviral properties of the peptides significantly. Peptide PB1 (6-14) with both termini modified showed maximum antiviral activity, its inhibitory activity manifesting itself during the early stages of viral replication. It was also shown that the fluorescent-labeled analog of this peptide was able to penetrate into the cell. The broad range of virus-inhibiting activity of PB1 (6-14) peptide was confirmed using a panel of influenza A viruses of H1, H3 and H5 subtypes including those resistant to oseltamivir, the leading drug in anti-influenza therapy. Thus, short peptide fragments of the PB1 protein could serve as leads for future development of influenza prevention and/or treatment agents.

[Comparative study of MDCK and CaCo-2 cell lines for influenza virus isolation].

Study of effectiveness of CaCo-2 cell line for influenza virus isolation was carried out. It was shown that the properties of this cell line strongly depended on the source of its origin and cultivation conditions. The infectious activity of the influenza viruses on CaCo-2 cell line was virtually the same as in the MDCK cell line. The rate of the viral isolation was virtually identical for both cell lines tested, but viruses from post-mortem materials were isolated only in CaCo-2 cell line. In general, the CaCo-2 line is believed to be a valuable cell line for virological research, particularly for influenza virus isolation.

[Role of cellular cytoskeleton in influenza A infectious cycle].

Influenza remains a significant social threat especially regarding the emergence of new mutant or reassortant strains. Measures of prophylaxis do not provide complete and stable protection from infection and the use of antivirals results in high-level occurrence of resistant forms of viruses. Nowadays more and more attention is paid to find new targets for antiviral therapy that are not directly connected with virus proteins but can act indirectly through cellular mechanisms involved in viral replication. This approach requires complete understanding of various cellular pathways used by influenza virus. Here we present a brief overview of interactions between influenza A virus and the cell cytoskeleton. This interaction is initiated from the very beginning of influenza infection--adsorption--and continues with endocytosis, release of viral RNP and its entry into the nucleus. The role of cytoskeleton during the late stages of infection is also of great importance. It takes part in NP translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, virus assembly and budding. The presence of cellular actin in certain influenza virions is therefore not accidental but reflects the peculiarities of interaction between a virus and a host cell.

[Effect of Ingavirin on the ultrastructure of the morphogenesis of adenovirus infection in vivo].

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of Ingavirin on the morphological features of the foci of adenovirus hepatitis in Syrian hamsters by electron microscopy. The use of the drug was shown to cause a substantial reduction in the rate of destructive processes and inflammatory reactions in the liver, by normalizing its structure at the levels of both tissue and individual hepatocytes. After administration of Ingavirin, the morphogenesis of adenovirus infection in the infected hepatocytes did not differ from that in the controls; however, the infected cells were fewer. The proportion of morphologically inadequate virions in the presence of Ingavirin increased from 35 to 46%. The findings suggest that Ingavirin is an effective drug that has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective activities in the focus of adenovirus tissue involvement.

[The 2009 pandemic influenza in Russia. I. Diagnosis and molecular biological characteristics of the virus].

The analysis of 1558 clinical samples revealed influenza virus A(H1N1v) RNA in 339 patients with influenza and 163 fatal cases,which was made in May to December 2009. Data on the antigenic properties of more than 250 of pandemic virus strains isolated at the Research Institute of Influenza and the molecular genetic characteristics of 31 strains are presented. All the test isolates were found to have the S203 substitution in hemagglutinin, which was characteristic of one of 5 minor genome A(H1N1v) virus variants found in the United States and Mexico in 2009. All the test strains contain the S31N substitution in the M2 protein, which determines viral resistance to adamantine, and have no H275Y substitution in neuraminidase, which determines oseltamivir resistance. The substitution of amino acid residue of Asp to Gly at position 222 of HA was found in 8 (73%) of 11 isolates from postmortem lung and trachea samples and in 2 (10%) of 20 isolates from nasopharyngeal swabs. The determination of the pathogenic role of this substitution calls for further investigations.

[Antiviral activity of Ingavirin on an animal model for experimental disseminated adenovirus infection].

Adenoviruses constitute a clinically important family of human pathogens. Due to their wide tissue tropism, adenoviruses are able to induce different diseases from moderate respiratory disorders to fatal outcomes in patients with immunodeficiencies. The authors present the results of a trial of the antiviral activity of the new drug Ingavirin [2-(imidazole-4-yl-ethanamide) pentandioic-1,5 acid] against human adenovirus type 5 on an animal model. Ingavirin is shown to decrease an adenoviral infectious titer in the liver and lung of neonatal Syrian hamsters (by approximately 1 log10 TCID50 as compared to the control) and to reduce the sizes of liver inflammation foci by 2-fold. Furthermore, it also decreases the count of virus-infected cells detectable by morphological analysis. Hepatocytes from Ingavirin-treated animals appear intact unlike strongly vacuolized cells from the animals given placebo. The findings make it possible to regard Ingavirin as a promising agent of the combination therapy of human adenovirus disease.

[Experimental study of Ingavirin antiviral activity against human adenovirus].

Antiviral properties of Ingavirin were investigated in the Hep-2 cell culture with respect to the human respiratory tract virus (type 5 adenovirus). In concentrations of Ingavirin of 1000, 100 and 10 mcg/ml the generated posterity showed lower infective capacity (by 250, 100 and 10 times respectively). The electron microscopy of the infected cells confirmed the Ingavirin ability to disturb the adenovirus normal morphogenesis.

[DNA complexes with polycations used for delivery of DNA into cells].

The formation and physicochemical properties of high-molecular thymus and plasmid DNA complexes with synthetic polymers based on (dimethyl-amino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), (diethyl-amino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEM), and polyvinyl amine (PVA) were investigated in solutions of different ionic strength by low-gradient viscometry, electrophoresis, circular dichroism, spectrophotometry, and dynamic light scattering. The toxicity of complexes in T98G cells was studied. It was shown that, when the ratio of polycations to DNA charged groups concentration (N+/P) reaches values > 1, DNA condensation occurs. It is accompanied by increasing optical density of solutions. Changes in DNA size after condensation were estimated. Phase diagrams of systems DNA/polycation in the presence of NaCl were obtained. It was shown by MTT-analysis that DNA complexes with polycations in the range of concentrations used have low toxicity.

Effect of 6-azacytidine on the course of experimental adenoviral infection in newborn Syrian hamsters.

Adenoviral infection is a serious human pathology leading to respiratory, gastrointestinal and ocular disorders and epidemic outbreaks, especially in children's groups. Here we present the results from an investigation of anti- adenoviral effect of 6-azacytidine (6-AC) both in vitro and in vivo. The selectivity index of 6-AC for adenovirus type 5 in HEp-2 cells was 374, the 50% effective concentration was 0.5 mg/ml. For in vivo investigations we developed a model of disseminated adenoviral infection in newborn Syrian hamsters. The infectious virus was recovered from the liver, kidney, lungs and heart. Application of 6-AC led to a reduced period of the virus presence (7 days in the liver and 4 days in the kidney and heart) and lowered virus titers on day 3 post-inoculation (p.i.) (liver - 2.7 and 4.1, heart - 0 and 3.2, kidney - 0 and 2.4 log(10 )CPD(50)/mg tissue weight, in the presence and absence of 6-AC, respectively). Application of 6-AC to newborn Syrian hamsters led to partial destruction of their splenocytes. The results obtained suggest that 6-AC or 6-ACbased drugs with lower toxicity or applied topically may be suitable for therapy and prevention of adenoviral infection in humans.

DNA-polycation complexes: effect of polycation structure on physico-chemical and biological properties.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of cationic polymer structure on the formation of DNA-polycation complexes and their transfection activity. Primary, tertiary, and quaternary polyamines with molecular masses ranging from 8000 to 200,000 were investigated. DNA-cationic polymer interaction was characterized by low gradient viscometry, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, UV spectrometry, flow birefringence, DNA electrophoresis, and electron microscopy. Transfection activity of the complexes was evaluated by the expression of reporter gene (beta-galactosidase) and using synthetic FITC-labelled oligonucleotides. Complex formation was found to be dependent on the structure and molecular weight of the polymer and the ionic strength of the solution. Secondary DNA structure in complexes was not disrupted, and DNA was protected from protonation. Cell lines of different origin were used for testing of transfection activity of the complexes. The sensitivity of the cells to transfection was established to be highly dependent on the cell line. DNA-polycation complexes are non-toxic according to MTT. Polyallylamine, and polydimethylaminoethylmethacrylate were found to be the most promising polycations for gene delivery. Transfection efficacy of their complexes with DNA to T-98G cells reaches up to 90-100%. It was found that optimal molecular mass of polydimethylaminoethylmethacrylate is in the range of 8000-50,000 Da.

Direct antiviral effect of cycloferon (10-carboxymethyl-9-acridanone) against adenovirus type 6 in vitro.

Adenoviruses represent a broad group of human pathogens that currently have no specific and safe drugs for treatment. We demonstrated direct (non IFN-mediated) antiviral activity of cycloferon (10-carboxymethyl-9-acridanone, CMA), a potent interferon inducer, against adenovirus type 6 (Ad6) in Hep-2 cells. Virus production and details of morphogenesis were studied by ELISA with antibodies to the Ad6 hexon protein, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Immunoenzyme assay revealed that CMA does not inhibit viral protein synthesis but instead strongly reduces the ability of the virus to generate infectious progeny virus in a dose dependent manner. Ultrastructural study shows that CMA alters the structure of intranuclear virus-specific inclusions. We suggest that CMA suppresses the late stages of viral cycle in the infected cell.

[Intracellular localization of cycloferon, its binding with DNA and stimulation of cytokines expression after exposure to cycloferon]. / Issledovanie vnutrikletochnoi lokalizatsii tsikloferona, sviazyvaniia ego s DNK i stimuliatsii ékspressii tsitokinov v kletkakh pri vozdeistvii tsikloferona.

Despite the wide usage of immunomodulating preparates including interferon inducers in medical practice little is known about their mechanism of action. We investigated some theoretical aspects of action of potent interferon inducer--cycloferon (10-carboxymethyl-9-acridanone), such as intracellular localization, ability to DNA binding and cytokine expression stimulation. This preparate has been found to be localized in nuclei of monocytic cells U-937, T- and B-lymphocytes and HeLa cells. In Hep-2 line cycloferon was bound to cells from non-adhesive subpopulation and was not detected in cells of monolayer. Human fibroblasts did not bind the substance. Interaction with double-stranded but not with single-stranded DNA occurred at pH lower than 4.7 regardless of the GC-contain. As shown by dot-hybridization cycloferon stimulated the transcription of interferon-alpha gene in U-937 cells 29-44-fold compared to the control but did not affect the transcription of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2 genes. Our data allow to propose that some specific receptor exists in cell with affinity to cycloferon.

[The use of cycloferon in the therapy of experimental herpetic keratitis]. / Ispol'zovanie tsikloferona v terapii éksperimental'nogo gerpeticheskogo keratita.

The cycloferon efficacy was investigated in the treatment of experimental herpesvirus kerato-conjunctivitis in rabbits. The model was demonstrated to reflect the main aspects of herpesvirus eye lesions in humans. Cycloferon application similarly to that of known interferon inducer poludan has been shown to enhance processes of inflammation and subsequent regeneration of eye tissues as well as to decrease mortality of animals due to the generalization of infection.