Inhibition of Orbivirus Replication by Aurintricarboxylic Acid.

Abstract

Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are vector-borne viruses belonging to thegenus, which are transmitted between hosts primarily by biting midges of the genus. With recent BTV and AHSV outbreaks causing epidemics and important economy losses, there is a pressing need for efficacious drugs to treat and control the spread of these infections. The polyanionic aromatic compound aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) has been shown to have a broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Here, we evaluated ATA as a potential antiviral compound againstinfections in both mammalian and insect cells. Notably, ATA was able to prevent the replication of BTV and AHSV in both cell types in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, we evaluated the effect of ATA in vivo using a mouse model of infection. ATA did not protect mice against a lethal challenge with BTV or AHSV, most probably due to the in vivo effect of ATA on immune system regulation. Overall, these results demonstrate that ATA has inhibitory activity againstreplication in vitro, but further in vivo analysis will be required before considering it as a potential therapy for future clinical evaluation.