Abstract
Background: Kutapressin (KU), a porcine liver extract with bradykinin-potentiating effects but no vitamin B 12 activity, has been used in the treatment of Herpes zoster. We examined a phenol-free preparation of this drug for in vitro activity against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Materials and Methods; Immortalization- inhibition assays were used to assess EBV infectivity. Mitogen stimulation and cell viability assays and flow cytometry were used to assess the mechanism of drug activity. Results: Seventy-five hundred mcg/ml of KU blocked the infection of 2 x 105 human umbilical cord mononuclear cells when added together with two strains of EBV (B95-8 and FF41). Doses as low as 250 mcg/ml were occasionally effective as well. Unlike acyclovir, KU dose not inhibit viral DNA polymerase nor dose it appear to compete with EBV as it binds to its receptor on the B-cell surface. Conclusions: The mechanism whereby KU may inhibit EBV immoirtalization remains to be determined. KU, a drug which is safe in humans, deserves further study as an agent with potential to block EBV-induced immortalization of B-lymphocytes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 313-318 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | In Vivo |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- Acyclovir
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Kutapressin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology