Maedi-visna virus, a model for in vitro testing of potential anti-HIV drugs

A series of beta -D- and beta -L-cytidine analogues were evaluated for thei r inhibitory effect on the replication of maedi-visna virus (MVV) strains K V1772 and MV1514 cultured on sheep choroid plexus cells and the sheep chond rocyte cell line G81092, respectively. Eleven cytidine analogues were selec ted for the anti-viral test. Five of them belong to the family of the 2',3' -dideoxycytidine analogues, well known for their activity against human imm unodeficiency virus (HIV). The others, all, newly synthesized, were potenti al anti-viral and/or anti-leukemic agents. None of the compounds under study had a toxic effect in both anti-viral ass ay systems up to a 300 muM concentration. Based on the cytopathic effects (CPE), the virus replication was completely inhibited by the five 2',3'-dideoxycytidine analogues at a concentration o f 50 muM, whereas the others six newly synthesized compounds induced titre reductions of 4-5 log units. The effective concentration causing 50% reduction of CPE (EC50) was of 5 mu M for the five 2',3'-dideooxycytidine analogues and for beta -L-XyloFc, whe reas the value of 50 muM was found for the b-L-XyloC and the four 5-azacyti dine compounds tested. All these data reveal a good correlation between inhibition of MW replicati on by several nucleoside cytidine analogues and their reported anti-MN acti vity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.