Studies on the antiviral activity of propagermanium with immunostimulating action.

The effects of propagermanium (3-oxygermylpropionic acid polymer) on various virus-infected mice were investigated. Propagermanium did not inhibit the multiplication of various DNA or RNA viruses in vitro. Oral administration of propagermanium in mice infected with herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) significantly prolonged the mean survival days. The efficacy of propagermanium at doses of 1 and 10 mg/kg daily was 13.4 +/- 2.3 and 14.2 +/- 2.3 mean survival days in comparison with 7.7 +/- 0.5 mean survival days at control group. In vaccinia virus-infected mice, oral doses of propagermanium ranging from 0.2 to 10 mg/kg suppressed the number of pocks on the tail which induced by the virus. Propagermanium (0.5-10 mg/kg) orally given to HSV-1-infected mice induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) against HSV-1 antigen. In addition, propagermanium (1-10 mg/kg) enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induction in mice treated with Mycobacterium bovis (BCG). In mice spleen cells cultured with Concanavalin A, 0.1 to 10 micrograms/ml of propagermanium stimulated interleukin 2 (IL-2) production. It seems likely that the antiviral activity of propagermanium was exerted via enhancement of host immune resistance against viral infection.