title: Prevention of poxvirus infection by tetrapyrroles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevention of poxvirus infection is a topic of great current interest. We report inhibition of vaccinia virus in cell culture by porphyrins and phthalocyanines. Most previous work on the inhibition of viruses with tetrapyrroles has involved photodynamic mechanisms. The current study, however, investigates light-independent inhibition activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Western Reserve (WR) and International Health Department-J (IHD-J) strains of vaccinia virus were used. Virucidal and antiviral activities as well as the cytotoxicity of test compounds were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Examples of active compounds include zinc protoporphyrin, copper hematoporphyrin, meso(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin, the sulfonated tetra-1-naphthyl and tetra-1-anthracenylporphyrins, selected sulfonated derivatives of halogenated tetraphenyl porphyrins and the copper chelate of tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine. EC50 values for the most active compounds are as low as 0.05 microg/mL (40 nM). One of the most active compounds was the neutral meso(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin, indicating that the compounds do not have to be negatively charged to be active.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Porphyrins and phthalocyanines have been found to be potent inhibitors of infection by vaccinia virus in cell culture. These tetrapyrroles were found to be active against two different virus strains, and against both enveloped and non-enveloped forms of the virus, indicating that these compounds may be broadly effective in their ability to inhibit poxvirus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. achenco@emory.edu
authors.forename: Avril R M
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Chen-Collins
authors.forename: Dabney W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Andrei N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Vzorov
authors.forename: Luigi G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Marzilli
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Compans
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011213:Poxviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D011758:Pyrroles; C409084:tetraphenylporphyrin; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin