Ribavirin is an inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase.
Ribavirin inhibits the human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase in an in vitro reaction. Ribavirin-5'-diphosphate was close to 40% more inhibitory than ribavirin-5'-triphosphate. Unphosphorylated ribavirin had a reduced, but detectable, effect as an inhibitor, compared with the phosphorylated forms. The compounds seem to have a direct effect on the viral polymerase, and no chain termination was observed in the presence of ribavirin-5'-triphosphate. Combination of any of the ribavirin derivatives tested with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (zidovudine)-5'-triphosphate resulted in an increase of its anti-human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase activity in the in vitro assay.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
R
R
Fernandez-Larsson
J L
JL
Patterson
D009189:Avian Myeloblastosis Virus / Q000201:enzymology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000201:enzymology*; D007700:Kinetics; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology
D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D012254:Ribavirin; D015215:Zidovudine; C055970:ribavirin 5'-diphosphate