Selective inhibition of RNA tumor virus replication in vitro and evaluation of candidate antiviral agents in vivo.

A limited number of biologically active materials were examined for their relative ability to selectively inhibit the replication of Gross or Rauscher murine leukemia virus (MLV) in Swiss mouse embryo cells by means of the UV-XC plaque-reduction assay. Among the compounds demonstrating significant antiviral activity against Gross MLV in vitro were 1-(4-fluorobenzyloxy) adenosine (FBAR), polyadenylic acid [poly(A)], the carbocyclic analogue of 6-methylthiopurine ribonucleoside (C-MeMPR), 3-(2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazonemethyl)rifamycin SV (AF/DNFI), and phosphonoacetic acid (PAA). Five compounds that exhibited significant antiviral activity against MLV in vitro were tested for similar activity against Rauscher MLV in vivo. Three of these selected compounds, pyrazofurin (pyrazomycin), ribavirin (Virazole), and 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A), produced a significant (50%-100%) inhibition of virus-induced splenomegaly development in mice, whereas the other two candidate inhibitors, 3-deazauridine (deazaUR) and rifamycin SV, the other two candidate inhibitors, 3-deazauridine (deazaUR) and rifamycin SV, failed to demonstrate any in vivo activity in this 21-day leukemogenesis assay. The administration of an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase (Co-vidarabine) in combination with ara-A resulted in an enhanced antiviral response in both infected cell cultures and animals. Co-vidarabine also increased the potency of ara-AMP against Gross MLV in vitro, indicating the probable dephosphorylation of the compound to ara-A and its subsequent deamination to ara-H in this system.