title: Inhibition of authentic hepatitis C virus replication by sodium stibogluconate.
abstract: Using a hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic RNA replicon system, drugs currently being used to treat other human diseases were examined for their antiviral activities against HCV. Several drugs including sodium stibogluconate, a compound used to treat leishmaniasis, were capable of suppressing replication of HCV replicon. The antiviral effect of sodium stibogluconate was subsequently verified using a cell line (293EBNA-Sip-L) previously proved to be permissive for HCV infection/replication. An ex vivo assay using fresh human liver slices established and a panel of human liver slices was obtained from biopsy samples of patients infected with HCV was used to examine the antiviral activity of this drug. A nearly complete suppression effect was achieved in four of six human liver slices at the drug concentration of 100 microg/ml, lower than what was required to treat leishmaniasis. A human trial is mandatory to understand its clinical value in treating chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Unit, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. chauting@adm.cgmh.org.tw
authors.forename: Chau-Ting
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Der-Ren
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Hsin-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: John T A
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate