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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #287202

Title: Efficacy of a novel antiviral compound to inhibit replication of multiple pestivirus species

Author
item NEWCOMER, BENJAMIN - Auburn University
item MARLEY, M - Auburn University
item Ridpath, Julia
item Neill, John
item BOYKIN, DAVID - Georgia State University
item KUMAR, ARVID - Georgia State University
item GIVENS, M - Auburn University

Submitted to: Antiviral Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2012
Publication Date: 9/14/2012
Citation: Newcomer, B.W., Marley, M.S., Ridpath, J.F., Neill, J.D., Boykin, D.W., Kumar, A., Givens, M.D. 2012. Efficacy of a novel antiviral compound to inhibit replication of multiple pestivirus species. Antiviral Research. 96(2):127-129.

Interpretive Summary: Pestiviruses are a group of viruses that cause clinical disease in animal species important to agriculture including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. These viruses are also problems for the biologics industries because some pestiviruses frequently are found as contaminants in reagents used to produce vaccines. The purpose of this research was to determine how effective a newly discovered compound, DB772, was in killing pestiviruses. It was found that even low levels of BD772 killed all pestiviruses tested and was not toxic to cells. These results suggest that this compound could be used to eliminate pestiviruses from animals and reagents.

Technical Abstract: The pestiviruses are economically important pathogens of livestock. An aromatic cationic compound (DB772) has previously been shown to inhibit bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type 1 in vitro at concentrations lacking cytotoxic side effects. The aim of this study was to determine the scope of antiviral activity of DB772 among the pestiviruses. Isolates of BVDV 2, border disease virus (BDV), HoBi virus, pronghorn virus and Bungowannah virus were tested for in vitro susceptibility to DB772 by incubating infected cells in medium containing 0, 0.006, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.39, 0.78, 1.56, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5 or 25 µM DB772. The samples were assayed for the presence of virus by virus isolation and titration (BDV and BVDV 2) or PCR (HoBi, pronghorn and Bungowannah viruses). Cytotoxicity of the compound was assayed for each cell type. Complete inhibition of BVDV 2, BDV, and Pronghorn virus was seen when DB772 was included in the culture media at concentrations of 0.20 µM and higher. In two of three tests, a concentration of 0.05 µM DB772 was sufficient to completely inhibit HoBi virus replication. Bungowannah virus was completely inhibited at a concentration of 0.01 µM DB772. Thus, DB772 effectively inhibits all pestiviruses studied at concentrations equal or greater than 0.20.