EFFECT OF POLYANIONIC COMPOUNDS ON INTRACUTANEOUS AND INTRAVAGINAL HERPESVIRUS-INFECTION IN MICE - IMPACT ON THE SEARCH FOR VAGINAL MICROBICIDES WITH ANTI-HIV ACTIVITY

Several polyanionic compounds were found to suppress intracutaneous in fection of hairless mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) only when present at the time of inoculation. Because (a) sexual intercour se is a major route of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HI V); (b) due to the species-specificity of HIV, there is no small anima l model to study intravaginal HIV infection; (c) HIV is equally or eve n more sensitive than HSV-2 to several polyanions; and (d) sulfated po lymers may prevent the adhesion of (HIV-infected) lymphocytes to epith elial cells, we evaluated the effect of the compounds on intravaginal infection of mice with HSV-2. To this end, mice were infected intravag inally with a virus-compound mixture. Under the conditions used, the p olysulfate dextran sulfate conferred only partial protection against i nfection and virus-induced mortality. However, PAVAS (a copolymer of a crylic acid with vinylalcohol sulfate) completely protected against th e infection, These results should be taken into account when planning clinical studies with a vaginal polysulfate formulation for the preven tion of sexually transmitted HIV and/or HSV-2 infections.