Biopolym. Cell. 2004; 20(4):337-342.
Molecular Biomedicine
Inhibitory effect of 6-azacytidine on human cytomegalovirus infection in cellular system
1Abdullaeva M. V., 1Frolov A. F., 2Alexeeva I. V., 2Palchykovskaja L. I., 3Fedorova N. E.
  1. Gromashevsky L.V. Institute of Epidemiology and Infection Diseases, AMS of Ukraine
    5, Amosova Str., Kyiv, Ukraine, 03038
  2. Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine
    150, Akademika Zabolotnoho Str., Kyiv, Ukraine, 03680
  3. D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
    16, Gamalei Str., Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract

Effects of a modified nucleoside analog 6-Azacytidine (2-b-D-ribofuranosyl-5-amino-1,2,4-triazin-3(2H)-one) on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in vitro, have been studied. 6-AZC inhibits the CMV cytopathic action, the effective dose of 6-AZC being 0.005 mg/ml. The analysis of cell viability, growth characteristics, and DNA synthesis has revealed that the cytotoxic effect of 6-AZC in human diploid fibroblasts is negligible. The cytotoxicity index range is 2.4 to 24 mg/ml when tested by different methods. The selectivity index of 6-AZC is 48-480, which differs negligibly from that of gancyclovir (100-1000), while the cytotoxicity of 6-AZC is essentially lower. The immunocytochemical analysis of virus proteins in the infected cells has shown that 6-AZC inhibits the production of late structural CMV protein gB, but does not influence the expression of early nonstructural protein pp72 and early protein p65.

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