title: Rhesus theta-defensin prevents death in a mouse model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus pulmonary disease.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of rhesus theta-defensin 1 (RTD-1), a novel cyclic antimicrobial peptide, as a prophylactic antiviral in a mouse model of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) lung disease. BALB/c mice exposed to a mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV demonstrated 100% survival and modest reductions in lung pathology without reductions in virus titer when treated with two intranasal doses of RTD-1, while mortality in untreated mice was approximately 75%. RTD-1-treated, SARS-CoV-infected mice displayed altered lung tissue cytokine responses 2 and 4 days postinfection compared to those of untreated animals, suggesting that one possible mechanism of action for RTD-1 is immunomodulatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wohlford-Lenane
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Meyerholz
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perlman
authors.forename: Haixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dat
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Selsted
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: McCray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023082:Defensins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D023082:Defensins; C450142:theta-defensin