Effect of Cytosine Arabinoside, lododeoxyuridine, Ethyldeoxyuridine, Thiocyanatodeoxyuridine, and Ribavirin on Tail Lesion Formation in Mice Infected with Vaccinia Virus

Authors:
  • MLM. Luczak
    M. Luczak
  • DSD. Shugar
    D. Shugar
  • PTP. F. Torrence
    P. F. Torrence
  • JWJ. A. Waters
    J. A. Waters
  • BWB. Witkop
    B. Witkop
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Abstract
Mice infected intravenously with vaccinia virus develop characteristic lesions over the entire tail surface. This experimental virus infection presents a highly sensitive and reliable model for evaluating the antivaccinia activity of antiviral compounds. Ara-C (1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine), ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide), IUdR (5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine) as well as two novel analogs of IUdR, EtUdR (5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine), and NCSUdR (5-thiocyanato-2'-deoxyuridine), were found to inhibit the formation of vaccinia tail lesions, when administered intraperitoneally once daily for 7 days starting immediately after virus infection. The order of (decreasing) activity was: ara-C greater than IUdR greater than NCSUdR greater than ribavirin greater than EtUdR. Various drug combinations, involving IUdR + ara-C, NCSUdR + ara-C, NCSUdR + IUdR, NSCUdR + ribavirin, etc., were evaluated but none proved more efficacious than either compound administered alone.