Long-term therapy with the guanine nucleoside analog penciclovir controls chronic duck hepatitis B virus infection in vivo.
Ducks congenitally infected with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) were treated with the antiviral guanine nucleoside analog penciclovir for 12 or 24 weeks at a dosage of 10 mg/kg of body weight per day. By the completion of both 12 and 24 weeks of therapy, molecular hybridization studies of the liver tissue revealed that the viral DNA, RNA, and protein levels were significantly reduced compared to those in the placebo-treated controls. Penciclovir treatment for 12 or 24 weeks was not associated with any toxicity, establishing the efficacy and safety of long-term penciclovir therapy in chronic DHBV infection.
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield Hospital, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia.
E
E
Lin
C
C
Luscombe
D
D
Colledge
Y Y
YY
Wang
S
S
Locarnini
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004372:Ducks; D006147:Guanine; D018347:Hepadnaviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015611:Hepatitis B Virus, Duck; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; C053539:penciclovir; D006147:Guanine; D000212:Acyclovir