Treatment with meliacine, a plant derived antiviral, prevents the development of herpetic stromal keratitis in mice.
Herpetic stromal keratitis is caused by ocular infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and constitutes a leading cause of human blindness. The effect of meliacine, an antiviral compound isolated from leaves of Melia azedarach L. that inhibits HSV-1 replication in vitro, was examined on experimental corneal HSV-1 inoculation in Balb/c mice. Mice were inoculated with HSV-1 strain KOS at their corneas after abrasion. Meliacine was administered topically 3 times a day for 4 days beginning 1 day before inoculation. Infected animals treated or not with meliacine were observed carefully for the development of stromal keratitis and the clinical scoring was done 14 days post-infection. Histological examination of corneas and viral isolation from eyes from HSV-1 infected mice treated or not with meliacine were also carried out. It was found that the treatment of HSV-1-induced ocular disease in Balb/c mice with meliacine reduced significantly the development of clinical disease, as well as the histological damage in corneas. The viral titers detected in eyes of infected and treated mice were 2-orders-of-magnitude lower than those corresponding to HSV-1 infected control animals. Mock-infected and treated mice did not reveal any corneal alteration due to the administration of the compound. Meliacine was found to exert a strong antiviral action on HSV-1-induced ocular disease in mice with no evidence of toxic effects.
Alché
L E
LE
Laboratory of Virology, Department of Biochemistry, School of Science, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. lalche@qb.fcen.uba.ar
Berra
A
A
Veloso
M J
MJ
Coto
C E
CE
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013997:Time Factors; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts