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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 75(5), 2006, pp. 1011-1016
Copyright © 2006 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES OF RIBAVIRIN ACTION ON BRAZILIAN ORTHOBUNYAVIRUS

MÁRCIA C. LIVONESI*, RICARDO L. MORO DE SOUSA, SORAYA J. BADRA, AND LUIZ T.M. FIGUEIREDO
Center for Research in Virology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Oropouche, Caraparu, Guama, Guaroa, and Tacaiuma are viruses (genus Orthobunyavirus) that cause human febrile illnesses and encephalitis. The goal of this study was to evaluate the antiviral action of ribavirin on these orthobunyaviruses to achieve a therapeutical agent to treat the diseases caused by these viruses. In vitro results showed that ribavirin (50 µg/mL) had antiviral activity only on the Tacaiuma virus. Addition of guanosine in the culture reversed the antiviral effect of ribavirin on Tacaiuma virus, suggesting that ribavirin inhibited this virus by reducing the intra-cellular guanosine pool. Moreover, ribavirin was not an effective drug in vivo because it was unable to inhibit the death of the mice or virus replication in the brain. The results suggest that ribavirin has no antiviral activity on the Oropouche, Caraparu, Guama, Guaroa, or Tacaiuma viruses; consequently, ribavirin would not be a good therapeutical agent to treat these arboviruses.

Received April 19, 2006. Accepted for publication July 21, 2006.

Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Pedro Vasconcelos, Dr. Amélia Travassos da Rosa, and Dr. Terezinha Lisieux Coimbra for kindly supplying the viruses used in this study and Dr. Eurico de Arruda Neto for his critical review of the manuscript.

Financial Support: This work was supported by an FAPESP grant to L.T.M. Figueiredo (03/03682-3) and by a fellowship from CAPES to M.C. Livonesi.

* Address correspondence to Márcia C. Livonesi, Center for Research in Virology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. E-mail: pink{at}rpm.fmrp.usp.br

Authors’ addresses: Márcia C. Livonesi, Ricardo L.M. de Sousa, Sor-aya J. Badra, and Luiz T.M. Figueiredo, Centro de Pesquisa em Vi-rologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil, Telephone/Fax: +55-16-602-3376.

Reprint requests: Luiz Tadeu Moraes Figueiredo, Centro de Pesquisa em Virologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Univer-sidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, CEP 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. E-mail: ltmfigue{at}fmrp.usp.br.






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Copyright © 2006 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.