title: Selenite inhibition of Coxsackie virus B5 replication: implications on the etiology of Keshan disease.
abstract: Keshan disease is a cardiomyopathy of unknown origin reported in some areas of China. Because of epidemiologic features, this disease was ascribed to an infectious agent, likely a Coxsackie virus, but it has also been thought to depend on selenium deficiency, mainly because selenite is effective in its prophylaxis. We examined the hypothesis that pharmacological activity of selenite on Coxsackie virus growth was associated with prevention of Keshan disease. We studied the antiviral effects of three selenium compounds on Coxsackie virus B5 replication: five microM selenite reduced viral replication, whilst 10 microM selenate and selenomethionine did not exhibit any antiviral activity. The inhibitory activity of selenite on viral replication was due to its toxicity following its interaction with thiols, as that activity could be blocked by dithiothreitol, a sulfhydryl-protecting agent known to reverse several toxic effect of selenite. Zinc, another inhibitor of selenite toxicity, also counteracted the antiviral effect of selenite. The selenium compounds showed only limited activity against herpes simplex 1 virus and IHD strain of vaccinia virus. A direct inhibitory effect of selenite on Coxsackie virus replication might explain the efficacy demonstrated by this compound in the prophylaxis of Keshan disease.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Igienistiche, Microbiologiche e Biostatistiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italia. c.cermelli@unimo.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cermelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinceti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scaltriti
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bazzani
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beretti
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vivoli
authors.forename: Marinella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portolani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004229:Dithiothreitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D007700:Kinetics; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D018038:Sodium Selenite; D004229:Dithiothreitol