title: Activity of ergoferon against lethal influenza A (H3N2) virus infection in mice.
abstract: The influenza A virus accounts for serious annual viral upper respiratory tract infections. It is constantly able to modify its antigenic structure, thus evading host defence mechanisms. Moreover, currently available anti-influenza agents have a rather limited application, emphasizing the further need for new effective treatments. One of them is ergoferon, a drug containing combined polyclonal antibodies - anti-interferon gamma, anti-CD4 receptor and anti-histamine - in released-active form. The purpose of the study was to assess ergoferon antiviral efficacy in mice challenged with the A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) influenza virus.
  
  
  
  The virus was inoculated intranasally at a 90% lethal dose. Ergoferon was administered at 0.4 ml/day per os in a preventive and therapeutic regimen - daily for 5 days prior to and for 16 days after the challenge. The reference product, Tamiflu (oseltamivir), was used as a positive control treatment - at 20 mg/kg/day for 5 days after the challenge. Mice in the negative control group received distilled water which had been utilized for test sample preparation; untreated control animals received no treatment. Antiviral efficacy was assessed by an increase in survival rate, average life expectancy and virus titre reduction in the challenged mouse lungs.
  
  
  
  Survival rate and average life expectancy values were increased significantly in groups treated with ergoferon and Tamiflu, as compared with controls. Lung virus titres were reduced in these groups as observed on days 2 and 4 post-inoculation.
  
  
  
  Ergoferon demonstrated antiviral activity by reducing the severity and duration of the major signs of induced influenza infection.
authors.affiliation: Federal Budgetary Research Institution 'State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR', Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being, Koltsovo, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Skarnovich
authors.affiliation: The Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Alexandra G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Emelyanova
authors.affiliation: The Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Nataliia V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Petrova
authors.affiliation: Research and Analytical Department, OOO "NPF "MATERIA MEDICA HOLDING", Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Alena A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Borshcheva
authors.affiliation: Research and Analytical Department, OOO "NPF "MATERIA MEDICA HOLDING", Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Evgeniy A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gorbunov
authors.affiliation: Federal Budgetary Research Institution 'State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR', Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being, Koltsovo, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Oleg Yu
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Mazurkov
authors.affiliation: Federal Budgetary Research Institution 'State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR', Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being, Koltsovo, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Maksim O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Skarnovich
authors.affiliation: Research and Analytical Department, OOO "NPF "MATERIA MEDICA HOLDING", Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Sergey A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tarasov
authors.affiliation: Federal Budgetary Research Institution 'State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR', Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being, Koltsovo, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Larisa N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Shishkina
authors.affiliation: The Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Oleg I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000276:immunology; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D008136:Longevity / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000494:pharmacology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D007155:Immunologic Factors; C000621422:ergoferon; D053139:Oseltamivir; D006632:Histamine; D007371:Interferon-gamma