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The effect of the beta-lactone antibiotic diffusomycin (oxazolomycin) was investigated against vaccinia (Lister), herpes simplex type 1 (Kupka), influenza A (WSN; H1N1), and Coxsackie A9 viruses. Diffusomycin reduced significantly the plaque formation of enveloped DNA and RNA viruses by more than 90% in the range of the maximally tolerated dose. As could be shown with vaccinia virus, the antiviral action was not caused by virucidal effect on virions or by interaction with virus adsorption and penetration. In one-step growth cycle assays diffusomycin prevented the replication of herpes simplex type 1, vaccinia and influenza A viruses in a dose-dependent manner. The replication of influenza A viruses was blocked immediately after addition of the compound during zero to six hr p.i. Partial reversibility of the antiviral action was established by washing off the antibiotic from chicken embryo cells (CEC) infected with influenza A virus. Finally, replication of Coxsackie A9 virus was not inhibited by diffusomycin. Electron-optical studies revealed a reduced synthesis of HSV-1 nucleocapsids in dependence on the concentration of the compound.

The adamantanamine derivative 1-[p-(methylnitrosamino)-benzylidenamino]-adamantane (MBAA) at a concentration of 40 microgram/ml demonstrated no effect on adsorption of fowl plague virus (FPV) on chick embryonal cells. The penetration of the virions took place by means of pinocytosis. In the final stages of penetration the virions became gradually disintegrated. Under the influence of MBAA, after break-down of the membrane of pinocytic vesicles a swollen part of the virus core remained in cytoplasm. The morphologically visible replication stages were completely blocked by MBAA. From these results it was concluded that the antiviral action of MBAA most probably depends on a block of virus replication between the final stages of the penetration process and the beginning of production of virus specific structural antigens.

Dipyridamole at a concentration of 50 microM/ml displays no activity on adsorption and penetration of pseudorabies virus in chicken embryonal cells. Furthermore, first stages of virus replication take place within the nucleus, whereas incomplete virus cores defective in DNA content are found within the nucleoplasm at times when the regular viral replication has been finished in controls. Defective pseudorabies virus particles lacking in DNA-content of the core, can be observed at the end of normal replication time. Consequently, the antiviral activity of dipyridamole may be due to blocking of the synthesis or of the incorporation of infectious viral DNA into the virus core.

The methylester of griseochelin (1) is a new chemically-made antiviral derivate of the antibiotic griseochelin isolated from fermentations of Streptomyces griseus. It belongs to the polyether group and possesses antiviral activity against enveloped RNA and DNA viruses cultivated in chicken embryo cells (CEC), namely influenzavirus A/WSN, vesicularstomatitis virus (Indiana), vaccinia virus (Lister) and herpes simplex hominis virus type 1 (Kupka). The methylester of griseochelin failed to show virucidal effects on extracellular influenza vacciniavirus particles or to influence virus adsorption and penetration processes. The antibiotic in concentrations of 125-15 micrograms/ml inhibited the virus-induced cytopathic effect of the above mentioned viruses and caused over 90 per cent plaque reduction. Addition of 1 during a one-step growth cycle of influenzavirus A at 4 and 6 h p.i. resulted in complete suppression of virus multiplication at the control niveau of the virus yield accumulated to the same time point. A partial reversibility of the antiviral action against influenzavirus A could be achieved. Coxsackie A9 virus growth in human fibroblast cells was not affected by the inhibitor. Electron-optical observations showed a failure of the formation of the viral capside proteins of HSV type 1 at the second halftime of the replication cycle in CEC-infected and 1-treated cultures.