Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Galanthus nivalis agglutinin and nelfinavir block feline coronavirus
By Hsieh, Li-En et al.·Published in Antiviral research·2010·Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Synergistic antiviral effect of Galanthus nivalis agglutinin and nelfinavir against feline coronavirus.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that a combination of two treatments, Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) and nelfinavir, showed promise in fighting feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious disease caused by feline coronavirus in cats. While each treatment alone was less effective against high levels of the virus, together they completely blocked the virus from replicating in infected cells. This suggests that using both treatments together could be a potential option for preventing or treating early cases of FIP in cats.
People also search for: cat FIP treatment · feline coronavirus medication · Galanthus nivalis for cats
Abstract
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease in domestic and nondomestic felids caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). Currently, no effective vaccine is available for the prevention of this disease. In searching for agents that may prove clinically effective against FCoV infection, 16 compounds were screened for their antiviral activity against a local FCoV strain in Felis catus whole fetus-4 cells. The results showed that Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) and nelfinavir effectively inhibited FCoV replication. When the amount of virus preinoculated into the test cells was increased to mimic the high viral load present in the target cells of FIP cats, GNA and nelfinavir by themselves lost their inhibitory effect. However, when the two agents were added together to FCoV-infected cells, a synergistic antiviral effect defined by complete blockage of viral replication was observed. These results suggest that the combined use of GNA and nelfinavir has therapeutic potential in the prophylaxis and treatment of cats with early-diagnosed FIP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20603153/