title: Fozivudine tidoxil as single-agent therapy decreases plasma and cell-associated viremia during acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that infects domestic and wild felidae and the course of disease is similar to that of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The thymidine nucleoside analog fozivudine (FZD) tidoxil is a lipid-zidovudine (ZDV) conjugate and member of the family of nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NRTIs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  FZD administration to cats during acute FIV infection produces antiviral activity with fewer adverse effects than its parent compound ZDV (AZT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Male, neutered cats approximately 7 months of age (n = 12).
  
  
  METHODS
  FZD (45 mg/kg q12h, n = 6) or placebo (n = 6) was administered PO in a nonblinded trial for 6 weeks to cats infected with the NCSU(1) isolate of FIV. Peripheral blood was collected preinfection and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postinfection for CBC, evaluation of CD4(+) and CD8(+) cell counts by flow cytometry, and quantification of plasma and cell-associated viremia by real time RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of cats with FZD during the acute stage of FIV infection decreased plasma and cell-associated viremia during the first 2 weeks of infection, but was not protective against FIV, as all cats were infected by 6 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the dosage used in this study, treatment with FZD results in a short-term decrease in viral load with no adverse effects. Further investigation of FZD is warranted to assess pharmacokinetics, optimal dosage, and to directly compare the antiviral activity of FZD to ZDV in naturally infected cats.
authors: Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. jonathan_fogle@ncsu.edu
authors: J E
authors: JE
authors: Fogle
authors: W A
authors: WA
authors: Tompkins
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Campbell
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sumner
authors: M B
authors: MB
authors: Tompkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000187:drug effects; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D008055:Lipids; D015215:Zidovudine; C408972:fozivudine tidoxil