med.uni-heidelberg.de

Despite early antiviral treatment, herpes simples virus encephalitis (HSVE) still remains a life-threatening sporadic disease with high mortality and morbidity. In patients and in experimental disease, chronic progressive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities have been found even after antiviral therapy. Secondary autoimmune-mediated and not directly virus-mediated mechanisms might play a key role for the outcome of disease. This study aimed to evaluate a possible beneficial effect of a therapy of acyclovir and corticosteroids versus acyclovir only. In a mouse model of HSVE (intranasal inoculation with 10(5) pfu [plaque-forming units] of HSV-1 strain F), a long-term MRI study was realized. Cranial MRI was performed serially at days 2, 7, 14, 21, 60, and 180 in different therapy groups: 1, saline; 2, acyclovir; 3, acyclovir, subsequently methylprednisolone; 4, sham-infected with saline. Brain viral load peaked at day 7 to decline thereafter to a low baseline value. Viral load in group 1 was significantly higher than in animals with antiviral therapy. In group 4, no viral DNA was detectable. Viral load did not differ significantly between acyclovir and acyclovir/corticosteroid-treated groups, suggesting that the use of corticosteroids in addition to acyclovir does not increase viral burden. MRI findings in untreated and acyclovir-treated animals revealed chronic progressive changes. In contrast, there was a significant reduction of the severity of long-term MRI abnormalities in acyclovir/corticosteroid-treated animals. With respect to abnormal MRI findings, this study demonstrates a clear beneficial effect of an acyclovir and corticosteroid therapy without influencing brain viral load.

Online pharmacy ref source - acyclovir: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12587075&dopt=Abstract acyclovir Zovirax

excite.co.jp

OBJECTIVES: Bell's palsy has recently been claimed to be caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. The anti-viral agent acyclovir is a specific inhibitor of herpesvirus replication, and the most effective agent for the treatment herpesvirus infection. The purpose of this experiment was to assess the effect of acyclovir on the facial nerve paralysis included by HSV-1 infection. METHODS: We succeeded in producing an animal model of acute and transient facial nerve paralysis induced with HSV-1 neuritis simulating human Bell's palsy. In this study, acyclovir administration was performed before and after facial nerve paralysis, and continued for 5 days. Controls were given phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) instead of acyclovir, and the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis was compared in the acyclovir groups and controls. RESULTS: The incidence of facial nerve paralysis was significantly lower in the group given acyclovir before the paralysis than in the controls, and the duration of facial nerve paralysis was shorter. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of acyclovir before the paralysis reduced the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis. Administration of acyclovir after the paralysis improved the duration of facial nerve paralysis.

Online pharmacy ref source - acyclovir: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12589842&dopt=Abstract acyclovir Zovirax




Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2003 Mar;47(3):991-6.
Pharmacokinetics of intravenous acyclovir, zidovudine, and acyclovir-zidovudine in pregnant rats.

Brown SD, Bartlett MG, White CA.

Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2352, USA.

The pharmacokinetics and placental transfer of acyclovir and zidovudine monotherapies and acyclovir-zidovudine combination therapy were compared in the pregnant rat. Timed-pregnancy Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study. Doses of 60 mg of each drug/kg of body weight in monotherapy and in combination therapy were given by intravenous bolus, and samples of maternal plasma, amniotic fluid, fetal tissue, and placental tissue were collected over a period of 8 h postdose. Concentrations of each drug in the various matrices were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. All data were analyzed by using WinNonlin. A one-compartment model with first-order elimination was used to fit the AZT plasma data from the combination therapy rats, but the plasma data from the other groups were fit to a two-compartment model. Tissue data were analyzed by noncompartmental analysis to generate area-under-the-concentration-time-curve values. Implementation of the combination therapy altered the pharmacokinetics of each drug compared to its monotherapy pharmacokinetics. The combination of these two drugs may potentiate fetal and amniotic fluid exposures to each drug.

Online pharmacy ref source - acyclovir: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12604532&dopt=Abstract acyclovir Zovirax

alles.or.jp

Using a monoclonal antibody to varicella zoster virus (VZV), an immunohistochemical study was performed before and after treatment with acyclovir (750 mg/day intravenously for 5 - 7 days) to investigate the distribution of VZV antigens in the epidermis of four in-patients with herpes zoster, and to correlate their presence with clinical manifestations of the disease. Biopsy specimens were obtained from epidermal lesions on admission to hospital prior to acyclovir administration, and again following treatment. In all cases, VZV antigens were found extensively in the erythematous and vesicular lesions before treatment, but they were not detected 5 - 7 days later in the ulcerative, crusted or pigmented lesions after acyclovir therapy. Further controlled studies will be necessary to compare the distribution of epidermal VZV antigens in acyclovir-treated patients with that in a placebo group to determine whether the loss of VZV antigens was due to acyclovir or to a natural decrease over time.

Online pharmacy ref source - acyclovir: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11471857&dopt=Abstract acyclovir Zovirax




Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2003 Apr;18(4):809-13.
Comparative study of prophylactic oral ganciclovir and valacyclovir in high-risk kidney transplant recipients.

Yango A, Morrissey P, Zanabli A, Beaulieu J, Shemin D, Dworkin L, Monaco A, Gohh R.

Division of Renal Diseases, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major pathogen in renal transplant patients causing significant post-transplant morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic antiviral therapy, currently implemented in most kidney transplant centres, has significantly reduced the incidence of CMV infection after transplantation. Oral ganciclovir has been shown to be an effective prophylactic agent in preventing CMV disease and infection with a demonstrated superior efficacy over oral acyclovir. Valacyclovir, a prodrug of acyclovir with a higher level of bioavailability than acyclovir, has also been shown to be effective in preventing CMV disease when given as prophylactic treatment. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of 150 renal transplant recipients in our centre, we compared the efficacy of oral ganciclovir with valacyclovir in preventing CMV infection. Seventy-seven consecutive renal transplant recipients prophylactically treated with oral ganciclovir for 12 weeks after transplant were compared with 73 consecutive recipients treated with oral valacylovir for an equal length of time. RESULTS: No difference was noted in the incidence of CMV infection between the two treatment groups (5.1 vs 5.4%) after a 6 month follow-up. Likewise, the incidence of acute rejection was similar in both groups (11.6 vs 6.8%). All cases of CMV infection occurred in high-risk patients (donor positive/recipient negative). CONCLUSION: The prophylactic use of oral valacylovir is as effective as oral ganciclovir in reducing CMV infection and disease after kidney transplantation.

Online pharmacy ref source - acyclovir: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12637653&dopt=Abstract acyclovir Zovirax