Virology Journal 2006, 3:56 doi:10.1186/1743-422X-3-56 English publication .pdf
Arbidol: a broad-spectrum antiviral that inhibits acute and chronic HCV infection.
Yury S. Boriskin, Eve-Isabelle Pecheur, Stephen J. Polyak
Arbidol (ARB) is an antiviral compound that was originally proven effective for treatment of
influenza and several other respiratory viral infections. The broad spectrum of ARB anti-viral
activity led us to evaluate its effect on hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and replication in cell
culture. Long-term ARB treatment of Huh7 cells chronically replicating a genomic length
genotype 1b replicon resulted in sustained reduction of viral RNA and protein expression, and
eventually cured HCV infected cells. Pre-treatment of human hepatoma Huh7.5.1 cells with 15
µM ARB for 24 to 48 hours inhibited acute infection with JFH-1 virus by up to 1000-fold. The
inhibitory effect of ARB on HCV was not due to generalized cytotoxicity, nor to augmentation
of IFN antiviral signaling pathways, but involved impaired virus-mediated membrane fusion.
ARB’s affinity for membranes may inhibit several aspects of the HCV lifecycle that are
membrane-dependent.
Ter Arkh. 2005;77(8):84-8. English (professional translation .html)
Sensitivity of various influenza virus strains to arbidol. Influence
of arbidol combination with different antiviral drugs on reproduction of influenza virus A
Leneva IA, Fediakina IT, Gus'kova TA, Glushkov RG.
AIM: To study antiviral activity of arbidol in relation to various
antigenic subtypes of influenza virus isolated from humans; efficacy of arbidol action in
combination with adamantanic antiviral drugs, ribavirin and ribamidil on reproduction of
influenza virus A (IVA) in cell culture. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The activity of the drugs
against viral reproduction was assessed by inhibition of viral antigens expression detected
in virus-infected cells using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). RESULTS: Arbidol is just as good as
adamantanic drugs, neuraminidase inhibitors, ribavirin and ribamidil by its inhibiting activity
in relation to influenza viruses A and B. Arbidol inhibits reproduction of human IVA antigenic
strains H1N1, H2N2, H3N2 and remantadin-sensitive and remantadin-resistant strains of influenza
virus. Arbidol inhibits reproduction of pathogenic for humans strains of avian influenza virus H5N1
and H9N2, strains H6N1 and H9N2 having internal genes common with H5N1 and H9N2. The
inhibiting activity of arbidolin on cell culture viral reproduction enhanced if arbidol was used in
combination with amantadine, remantadin, ribavirin and ribamidil. CONCLUSION: Arbidol has a
wide spectrum antiviral activity and inhibits reproduction of various antigenic subtypes and
remantadin-resistent human IVA, avian viruses H5N1 and H9N2, influenza viruses B and C.
PMID: 16206613 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Original Russian Document .pdf
Vopr Virusol. 2005 Nov-Dec;50(6):32-5 English (professional translation .html)
Sensitivity of influenza A/H5 viruses isolated from wild birds on the territory of Russia to arbidol in the cultured MDCK cells
The effect of the antiviral drug arbidol on the reproduction of avian influenza A/H5 viruses was studied in in vitro experiments. The strains were
isolated from the wild birds of Eastern Siberia and they were closely related to the 1997-2000 viruses from South-Eastern Asia. Arbidol was shown to exert a selective
inhibiting effect on the reproduction of these viruses in the MDCH cell cultures.
PMID: 16408629 [PubMed - in process]
Original Russian Document .pdf
VIROLOGICA SINICA Vol.20 No.2 April 2005 - Full text not available at this time
Inhibitory Effect of Arbidol Hydrochloride on Coxsackievirus B3 Group in vitro
XIONG Hai-rong, YANG Zhan-qiu, LIU Yin-juan, et al
Arbidol hydrochloride Coxsackievirus group B3 Antiviral effect
Abstract: To study the antiviral activity of Arbidol hydrochloride on Coxsackievirus
Group B_3 (CVB_3), the antiviral effect of Arbidol hydrochloride were evaluated with virus inhibitory rates by
MTT assay and 50% tissue culture infection dose (TCID_(50)) of the supernatant. The results showed that the
viral inhibitory rates were up to 75.48%,45.68%,28.90% and 48.27% respectively in interrupting viral biosynthesis
group, directly killing virus group, interfering in viral absorption and penetration groups(2h and 8h). In interrupting
viral biosynthesis group,Arbidol hydrochloride could significantly inhibit cytopathic effect (CPE) of CVB_3-infected HEp-2 cells,
increase survival rates of CVB_3-infected cells in dose dependent manner and decrease viral titers of the supernatant. It
indicates that Arbidol hydrochloride has antiviral effect against Coxsackievirus group B3 (CVB_3).
Original Chinese Document .pdf
Emerging Infectious Diseases EID-05-1609 Research 12-Dec-2005 English publication .pdf
Characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A subtype H5N1 strains isolated from an
outbreak in poultry and wild birds in Western Siberia, July 2005
Lvov, Dmitry; D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Virus ecology Prilipov, Alex; D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Molecular genetics, et al
Arbidol hydrochloride Coxsackievirus group B3 Antiviral effect
Abstract: Complete genomes of two highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) strains isolated
from wild birds (A/Grebe/Novosibirsk/29/05) and poultry (A/Duck/Novosibirsk/56/05) during an epizootic in 2005 summer in one location in
Western Siberia (Novosibirsk region, Russia) were analyzed. These strains had a basic
amino acid motif in the hemagglutinin cleavage site characteristic of HPAI influenza.
They differed genetically from the H5N1 avian viruses isolated earlier but were closely
related in all genes to the H5N1 viruses isolated from wild birds in Qinghai Lake, China,
in May 2005. There was slight genetic differences between the two Western Siberian
strains (2005) within the PB1, PB2, PA and NP genes (from one to four amino acid
substitutions), but both viruses had Lys-627 in PB2 protein, Glu-92 in NS1, Ser-31 in M2
and a 20-mer deletion in the NA gene. Both isolates were sensitive to remantadine,
amantadine, ribavirin, arbidol in porcine embryo kidney cell line.
Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol. 2005 Nov-Dec;(6):
24-8. English (professional translation .html)
Characteristics of the immune status in specific and nonspecific prophylaxis
of influenza in elderly persons, March 2005
T. A. Semenenko, E. P. Seikova, T. P. Gotvyanskaya, A. D. Gaidarenko, N. A. Polezhaeva, L. F. Evseeva, O. G. Nikolaeva
The results of the comparative analysis of the immunological effectiveness of the anti-influenza vaccine Vaxigrip,
the interferon inductor arbidol and their combination in 125 elderly persons are presented. In the process of investigation, the
immunomodulating activity of the preparations under study was noted. This activity was manifested by the increase of the absolute
and relative number of cells carrying CD3+, CD4+ and CD16+ markers, but not CD8+, CD19+ or CD25+; normalization of the immunoregulatory
index and stimulation of phagocytic function without significant influence on the level of HLA-DR+ expression or on the concentration
of the main classes of immunoglobulins. An increase in the frequency of seroconversions and the multiplicity of growth in the titers
of specific antibodies to influenza viruses A (H1N1 and H3N2) and B, most pronounced in persons given arbidol along with an anti-influenza vaccine, was established.
PMID: 16438370 [PubMed - in process]
Original Russian Document .pdf
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH 65 (3): A63-A64 MAR 2005 - Full text not available at this time
The Features of Antiviral Action of Arbidol—Selection and Characterization of Arbidol-resistant Mutants
Irina A. Leneva1, Alexander M. Shuster2, Alan J. Hay3, Robert G. Glushkov1
1Department of Chemotherapy of Infectious Diseases, Center of Chemistry of Drugs-Russian Chemical and Pharmaceutical Institute, Moscow, Russia; 2‘Masterlek’, Moscow, Russia;
3National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK
An antiviral drug arbidol (1-metyl-2-phenyl-thiomethyl
-3-carbotoxy-4-dimetylaminomethyl-5-hydroxy-
6-bromoindolehydrochloride monohydrate) is widely used
for prophylaxis and therapy of influenza A and B in Russia. The study of effect of arbidol on viral replication showed that arbidol inhibited viral reproduction of all antigen subtype of human
influenza A and B viruses, avian influenza viruses, possessing H5 and H9, and rimantadine-resistant strains of influenza A viruses. Arbidol demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral activity
against respiratory viruses inhibiting RSV and adenovirus type 3 viral replication in cell culture.
Arbidol was previously shown to inhibit early stage of influenza A virus replication. The studies of the arbidol effect upon replication of panel of reassortants
between A/Singapore/1/57(H2N2) and A/Chiken/Germany/27 (Weybridge strain, H7N7) showed that the greater sensitivity of the Weybridge virus to arbidol was determined by the
HA gene; there was no correlation between sensitivity to arbidol and any other gene Arbidol-resistant mutants were obtained by passing viruses in MDCK cells in the presence of increasing
drug concentrations. Mutants selected for resistance to arbidol promoted membrane fusion at higher pH (0.2–0.4) than wild-type virus. Arbidol inhibited haemolysis induced by the wild-type
virus, but did not inhibit the haemolysis induced by arbidol-resistant mutants. To determine the molecular basic of the arbidol-resistance the HA genes of the wild-type and arbidol-resistant
mutants were sequenced.
All mutants had amino acid substitutions only in HA2 subunit, but at different positions. The study of the effect of arbidol on conformation of the HA using
conformational antibodies showed that arbidol caused conformational change in the structure of HA of wild-type virus, but not in arbidol-resistant mutants. The data indicate that the
target of arbidol is the HA and that arbidol increases its stability to low pH-induced changes and as a consequence inhibits membrane fusion during virus infection.
More studies here: