A newly developed immunofluorescent assay for determining the Pichinde virus-inhibitory effects of selected nucleoside analogues.
An immunofluorescent assay (IFA) for Pichinde virus (PCV), a member of the family Arenaviridae, was developed for antiviral drug assays against the virus. The assay was performed by adding fluorescein-labeled anti-PCV monoclonal antibody to virus-infected cells at 24 h after the initial infection and counting the infected cells with an epifluorescence microscope. The average 50% effective dose (ED50) for a series of nucleoside analogues tested against PCV using this IFA was: 2-beta-D-ribofuranosylselenazole-4-carboxamide (selenazofurin), less than 1.0 microgram/ml; 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide (ribavirin), 6.0 micrograms/ml; ammonium 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide- 5'-phosphate hydrate (ribavirin-5'-monophosphate), 15.8 micrograms/ml; ammonium 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide-5'-hemisuccinate (ribavirin-5'-hemisuccinate), 14.7 micrograms/ml; ammonium 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide-5'-(2,3- dimethyl)hemisuccinate [ribavirin-5'-(2,3-dimethyl)hemisuccinate], 213.5 micrograms/ml; 4-hydroxy-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-2-pyridone (3-deazauridine), 5.2 micrograms/ml; and (S)-9-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)adenine, ([S]-DHPA), 471.0 micrograms/ml. In comparison, the ED50 of ribavirin using inhibition of marginal PCV-induced cytopathogenic effect after 12 days was 6.0 micrograms/ml and using plaque reduction after 5 days was 2.5 micrograms/ml, indicating that this IFA was of comparable sensitivity to these other tests.
Burns
N J
NJ
Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan 84322-5500.
Barnett
B B
BB
Huffman
J H
JH
Dawson
M I
MI
Sidwell
R W
RW
De Clercq
E
E
Kende
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001116:Arenaviridae / Q000187:drug effects*; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D051379:Mice; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D014709:Vero Cells
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009705:Nucleosides