title: Effects of acyclovir combined with other antiviral agents on human cytomegalovirus.
abstract: At present, there is no effective therapy for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Although acyclovir inhibits in vitro clinical isolates of CMV, preliminary human trials suggest that acyclovir may not be successful as a single antiviral agent in treating CMV infections. The antiCMV activity of acyclovir in combination with human fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta), phosphonoformic acid (PFA), or trifluorothymidine (TFT) was therefore evaluated. When acyclovir (20 microM) was combined with IFN-beta (25 U/ml), additive antiviral effects were observed for the four clinical CMV isolates studied and the laboratory adapted strain, AD-169. The combination of acyclovir (20 microM) with PFA (25 microM) was synergistic for all four clinical isolates studied, but additive for the AD-169 strain. Similarly, the combination of acyclovir (20 microM) and TFT (0.17 microM) was synergistic for three of four clinical isolates, and additive for one clinical strain and the AD-169 virus. These findings suggest that acyclovir combined with other antiviral agents may be useful in the treatment of CMV disease.
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004357:Drug Synergism; D017245:Foscarnet; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology; D008433:Mathematics; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014271:Trifluridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017245:Foscarnet; D006147:Guanine; D007372:Interferons; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid; D014271:Trifluridine; D000212:Acyclovir