Effect of acyclovir on the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pool levels in Vero cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1.

The effect of acyclovir on the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools of Vero cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 was examined. Deoxyguanosine triphosphate and deoxyadenosine triphosphate pool levels in infected cells treated with acyclovir increased dramatically compared with pool levels in untreated infected cels. The increases were due, at least in part, to inhibition of viral DNA polymerase activity which resulted in reduced utilization of the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. Differences of as much as 26 times were detected in the sensitivity of herpes simplex virus type 1 to inhibition by acyclovir with different Vero cell cultures. These results were due to differences in acyclovir triphosphate levels, not to differences in deoxyguanosine triphosphate levels.