title: Efficacy of combination therapy with amantadine, thymosin alpha 1 and alpha/beta interferon in mice infected with influenza A virus.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the antiviral drug amantadine (AMN) administered in combination with thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) and murine alpha/beta interferon (IFN) on mice infected with influenza A PR8 virus. Combined treatment with AMN and T alpha 1, for 4 days, followed by a single injection of IFN, was initiated 1 h after intranasal viral inoculation. The effectiveness of this new chemoimmunotherapy protocol was seen in the long-term survival of a high percentage of animals and was statistically significant when compared to treatment with single agents in conjunction with chemotherapy or to chemotherapy alone. In addition, chemoimmunotherapy treatment reduces the viral titre in the lungs as well as restoring the immunological parameters tested (natural killer cell activity; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses; CD4+/CD8+ lymphocyte subsets) with respect to all other groups. These results suggest the potential use of these immunomodulating agents in combination with an antiviral drug in controlling PR8 influenza virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Agostini
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Palamara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Favalli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sivilia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Febbraro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bue
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garaci
mesh_terms: D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology; D013947:Thymosin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D013947:Thymosin; D000547:Amantadine