title: Evaluation of the effects of acyclovir and/or human amniotic membrane on herpes virus culture and quantitative virus inactivity by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the permeability of amniotic membrane in herpes virus cell culture to acyclovir with real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell culture and Bovine Herpes Virus (BHV1) type 1 were used in the study. Cell cultures were grouped into two on the basis of herpes virus inoculation. Each group was sub-grouped into three. Amniotic membrane (V-HAM), acyclovir (V-A), and amniotic membrane and acyclovir (V-HAM-A) were applied to these subgroup cultures, respectively. After the application of the membrane and the drug, the cultures were evaluated at 24 and 48h for cytopathic effect positive (CPE+) with a tissue culture microscope. In the CPE (+) samples, the DNA was extracted for viral DNA analysis by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In control cultures without herpes virus CPE was not detected. Besides, amniotic membrane and acyclovir did not have cytotoxic effect on cell cultures. CPE were detected in Bovine Herpesvirus type-1 inoculated cell cultures after amniotic membrane and/or acyclovir application. DNA analysis with RT-PCR indicated that Cycle threshold (Ct) values were lower in the BHV1 and membrane applied group (amniotic membrane group < acyclovir group < membrane and acyclovir group). This showed that membrane did not have antiviral effect. The membrane and acyclovir cell culture groups with high Ct values indicated that membrane was permeable and had a low barrier effect to drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our in-vitro study, we found that amniotic membrane, which can be used in the treatment of corneal diseases, did not have antiviral effect. Besides, we detected that amniotic membrane was permeable to acyclovir in BHV-1 inoculated MDBK cell culture. However, more studies are necessary to investigate the quantitative effects of amniotic membrane and acyclovir.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fatih University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul 34188, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feride Aylin
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Kantarci
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Irfan Bastug Cad, Ankara 06110, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Faraji
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Irfan Bastug Cad, Ankara 06110, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aykut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkul
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara 06500, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fikret
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akata
keywords: acyclovir; amniotic membrane; herpes simplex virus