PMID: 9531310Apr 8, 1998Paper

Ribavirin inhibits viral-induced macrophage production of TNF, IL-1, the procoagulant fgl2 prothrombinase and preserves Th1 cytokine production but inhibits Th2 cytokine response

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
Q NingG Levy

Abstract

Ribavirin, a synthetic guanosine analogue, possesses a broad spectrum of activity against DNA and RNA viruses. It has been previously shown to attenuate the course of fulminant hepatitis in mice produced by murine hepatitis virus strain 3. We therefore studied the effects of ribavirin on murine hepatitis virus strain 3 replication, macrophage production of proinflammatory mediators including TNF, IL-1, and the procoagulant activity (PCA), fgl2 prothrombinase; and Th1/Th2 cytokine production. Although ribavirin had inhibitory effects on viral replication (<1 log), even at high concentrations complete eradication of the virus was not seen. In contrast, at physiologic concentrations (up to 500 microg/ml), ribavirin markedly reduced viral-induced parameters of macrophage activation. With ribavirin treatment, the concentrations of PCA, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta all decreased to basal concentrations: PCA from 941 +/- 80 to 34 +/- 11 mU/10(6) cells; TNF-alpha from 10.73 +/- 2.15 to 2.74 +/- 0.93 ng/ml; and IL-1beta from 155.91 +/- 22.62 to 5.74 +/- 0.70 pg/ml. The inhibitory effects of ribavirin were at the level of gene transcription as evidenced by Northern analysis. Both in vitro and in vivo, ribavirin inhibited the production of IL-4...Continue Reading

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