Dehydroepiandrosterone, epiandrosterone and synthetic derivatives inhibit Junin virus replication in vitro

ACOSTA E; BRUTTOMESSO A.C.; BISCEGLIA, J.A; WACHSMAN M.B.; GALAGOVSKY, L. R; CASTILLA V.

VIRUS RESEARCH

Elsevier

Lugar: Brusleas; Año: 2008 vol. 135 p. 203 - 212

0168-1702

In the present paper the in vitro antiviral activity of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), epiandrosterone (EA) and 16 synthetic derivatives against Junin virus (JUNV) replication in Vero cells was studied. DHEA and EA caused a selective inhibition of the replication of JUNV and other members of the ArenaviridaeArenaviridae family such as Pichinde virus and Tacaribe virus. The compoundswere not virucidal to cell-free JUNV. The impairment of viral replication was not due to an inhibitory effect of the steroids on virus adsorption or internalization. An inhibitory effect of the compounds on JUNV protein synthesis and both intracellular and extracellular virus productionwas demonstrated. A partial inhibitory action on cell surface expression of JUNV glycoprotein G1 was also detected on DHEA- and EA-treated cultures. Like DHEA and EA, three compounds obtained fromEA by chemical synthesis showed selectivity indexes higher than ribavirin, the only antiviral compound that has shown partial efficacy against arenavirus infections.