title: Penciclovir is a selective inhibitor of hepatitis B virus replication in cultured human hepatoblastoma cells.
abstract: Penciclovir [9-(4-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylbut-1-yI)guanine], an effective antiherpesvirus agent, was found to be a potent and selective antiviral agent against intracellular hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication (drug concentration at which a 10-fold decrease in HBV DNA from the average level in an untreated culture was observed [EC90], 1.6 microM) and extracellular virion release (EC90, 0.7 microM) by cultured human hepatoblastoma (2.2.15) cells. Acyclovir and three other related 9-alkoxypurines with activity against either herpesviruses or human immunodeficiency virus were uniformly inactive against HBV. The activity of penciclovir is discussed in relation to recent findings related to its mode of action against HBV.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Korba
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Boyd
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006147:Guanine; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D018197:Hepatoblastoma; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019259:Lamivudine; C053539:penciclovir; D006147:Guanine; C050220:2',3'-dideoxyguanosine; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D000212:Acyclovir