title: Antiviral activities of oral 1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-phosphoacyclovir and acyclovir in woodchucks with chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection.
abstract: Acyclovir triphosphate is a potent inhibitor of hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase, but acyclovir treatment provides no benefit in patients with hepatitis B virus infection. This is due in part to the fact that hepatitis B virus, unlike herpes simplex virus, does not code for a viral thymidine kinase which catalyzes the initial phosphorylation of acyclovir. We synthesized 1-O-octadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho (3-P)-acyclovir and found that it was highly active in reducing hepatitis B virus replication in 2.2. 15 cells, while acyclovir was inactive. The greater antiviral activity of 1-O-octadecyl-sn-glycero-3-P-acyclovir appeared to be due to liver cell metabolism of the compound to acyclovir monophosphate (K. Y. Hostetler et al., Biochem. Pharmacol. 53:1815-1822, 1997). However, a closely related compound without a hydroxyl group at the sn-2 position of glycerol, 1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-P-acyclovir, was more active and selective in 2.2.15 cells in vitro. In this study, we treated woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus with increasing oral doses of 1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-P-acyclovir and assessed the response to therapy versus acyclovir or a placebo. At a dosage of 10 mg/kg of body weight twice a day, the test compound significantly inhibited viral replication in vivo, as indicated by a 95% reduction in serum woodchuck hepatitis virus DNA levels and by a 54% reduction in levels of woodchuck hepatitis virus replicative intermediates in the liver. Higher doses were somewhat less effective. In contrast, 20 mg of acyclovir/kg twice daily, a 5. 3-fold-higher molar dosage, had no demonstrable activity against woodchuck hepatitis virus. Oral 1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-P-acyclovir appeared to be safe and effective in chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0676, USA. khostetler@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Hostetler
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Beadle
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hornbuckle
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bellezza
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Tochkov
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cote
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gerin
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Korba
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Tennant
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017919:Hepatitis B Virus, Woodchuck / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008392:Marmota / Q000821:virology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C412611:1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-phosphoacyclovir; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir