Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cholesterol blocker U18666A stops type I cat coronavirus infection
By Takano, Tomomi et al.·Published in Antiviral research·2017·School of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The cholesterol transport inhibitor U18666A inhibits type I feline coronavirus infection.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that a cholesterol transport inhibitor called U18666A may help fight feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious disease caused by a type of feline coronavirus that can be fatal for cats. The research showed that U18666A can stop the virus from replicating by causing cholesterol to build up in the cells. However, its effectiveness was reduced when combined with another drug that affects cell function. This suggests that U18666A could be a potential treatment option for cats suffering from FIP, but more research is needed to confirm its use.
People also search for: cat FIP treatment · feline coronavirus medication · U18666A for cats
Abstract
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a feline coronavirus (FCoV)-induced fatal disease in wild and domestic cats. FCoV exists in two serotypes. Type I FCoV is the dominant serotype worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to develop antiviral drugs against type I FCoV infection. We previously reported that type I FCoV is closely associated with cholesterol throughout the viral life cycle. In this study, we investigated whether U18666A, the cholesterol synthesis and transport inhibitor, shows antiviral effects against type I FCoV. U18666A induced cholesterol accumulation in cells and inhibited type I FCoV replication. Surprisingly, the antiviral activity of U18666A was suppressed by the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), Vorinostat. HDACi has been reported to revert U18666A-induced dysfunction of Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that NPC1 plays an important role in type I FCoV infection. U18666A or other cholesterol transport inhibitor may be considered as the antiviral drug for the treatment of cats with FIP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28780424/