title: Inhibition of Borna disease virus replication by ribavirin.
abstract: The guanosine analogue ribavirin was tested for antiviral activity in two neural cell lines, human oligodendrocytes and rat glia, against Borna disease virus (BDV) strains V and He/80. Ribavirin treatment resulted in lower levels of virus and viral transcripts within 12 h. Addition of guanosine but not adenosine resulted in a profound reduction of the ribavirin effect. Ribavirin appears to be an effective antiviral agent for treatment of BDV infection in vitro. A likely mechanism for its activity is reduction of the intracellular GTP pool, resulting in inhibition of transcription and capping of BDV mRNAs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for the Study of Emerging Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4292, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Briese
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Averett
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Lipkin
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D006151:Guanosine / Q000378:metabolism; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009457:Neuroglia; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006151:Guanosine; D012254:Ribavirin; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D000241:Adenosine