Experimental use of cytosine arabinoside in congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Effect of Cytosine Arabinoside and 5-Iodo-2′-Deoxyuridine on a Cytomegalovirus Infection in Newborn Mice

“…21 from the Cooperative Antiviral Testing Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Bethesda, Md. rological sequelae after symptomatic congenital infection, several workers have attempted to treat these infections with either cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) (3,13,15,21) or 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IUdR) (1), both of which have been shown to inhibit the replication of HCMV in vitro (22,23). Although treatment has resulted in decreased urinary excretion of virus (13,15), clinical improvement has been difficult to evaluate, and there has been no definitive evidence that the development of neurological residua was altered. Furthermore, information regarding success or failure of therapy has been obtained from individually treated cases.…”

Comparative Effects of Arabinosyl Nucleosides upon the Postnatal Growth and Development of the Rat

“…Brink, J. J., and Lepage, G. A,: Metabolism and distribution of Ara-C had profound effects which resulted in lack of suppression of bone marrow (12,15,22) and immune response (17). These doses have been used t o treat viral infections in neonates (1 2, 15,22).…”

Effect of the Antiviral Drug, Cytosine Arabinoside, on the Developing Nervous System

“…A meaningful comparison of dosage used in the current experiments with those used t o treat infants (4,7,8,10) could not be made. On a weight basis, the experimental doses were greater than those used clinically but the routes of administration and differences in metabolism between the species introduced other variables that made a meaningful comparison of doses impossible.…”

“…The treatment of newborn infants suffering from congenital virus infections with inhibitors of DNA synthesis has been reported (2,4,7,8,10). Therapy has been based on the observations that such compounds as iododexoxyuridine, adenosine arabinoside (Ara-A), or cytosine arabinoside (AraC) inhibit these DNA viruses in vitro (1 2).…”