title: Herpes simplex acyclovir-resistant mutant in experimental keratouveitis.
abstract: Acyclovir is a potent and selective antiviral agent. Unfortunately, drug-resistant (acyclovir-resistant) mutants have already been reported in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) orofacial infections. We have developed a laboratory acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 mutant. The natural course of acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 keratitis was found to be less virulent than that observed in wild type HSV-1 keratitis, but the rate of ganglionic latency was as high as that induced by the parental strain. In vitro studies and in vivo observation of rabbit corneas infected with acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 both demonstrated a significant sensitivity to vidarabine and bromovinyldeoxyuridine ([E]-5-[2-bromovinyl]-2'-deoxyuridine). The thymidine kinase activity of the acyclovir-resistant mutant was 69% of that of the wild type HSV-1.
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D011817:Rabbits; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C020235:brivudine; D014740:Vidarabine; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D000212:Acyclovir