PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AS CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS AGAINST POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN TISSUE CULTURE

¹ Department of Pharmacology and the Department of Bacteriology, Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, The George Washington University, School of Medicine, Washington 5, D. C.

Nineteen compounds were found to inhibit proliferation of Type 2 poliomyelitis virus, Y-SK strain, in roller tube cultures of monkey testicular tissue inoculated at the same time with drug and virus. Fifteen of these compounds were capable of inhibiting virus-induced degeneration of the fibroblasts over a wide range of concentrations, independent of whether the virus was inoculated 24 hours before or after treatment with the drug.

Twenty-six naturally occurring compounds were tested for their ability to reverse the inhibition caused by the drugs. Glutathione brought about the reversal of twelve of the drugs. Among the other metabolites three hydroxyamino acids, serine, threonine and hydroxyproline, frequently inhibited one or more of the drugs.