Development of an aciclovir implant for the effective long-term control of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in Vero cells and in experimentally infected SKH-1 mice

Tory P. Johnson, Robin Frey, Melissa Modugno, Timothy P. Brennan, Barry J. Margulies

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is treatable with oral doses of an antiviral agent such as aciclovir (ACV), a drug that has poor bioavailability. An alternative for delivering ACV would employ a long-lived subcutaneous implant that would allow for near zero-order drug delivery kinetics. This study aimed to develop an implant composed of a matrix of silicone and ACV that is capable of sustained long-term release of ACV. Once the implants had been created, release of ACV from the implants was determined and quantified in vitro using a spectrophotometric assay for the drug. Solvent-exposed surface area of the implant (2.86 mm2, 6.28 mm2, 34.62 mm2 and 100.48 mm2) had a significant effect on release kinetics, whereas temperature (37 °C, 25 °C and 4 °C) and pH (6.0, 7.0 and 8.0) did not. The implants were also used successfully to suppress HSV-1 (KOS)-induced cytopathic effect in cultured Vero cells. The implants protected HSV-1-infected SKH-1 mice from viral reactivation (n = 37; P = 0.0367) via ultraviolet light compared with mice that were untreated (n = 37). Furthermore, mice that received silicone-only implants had no lowered risk of reactivation (n = 34; P = 0.7268), demonstrating the antiviral efficacy of the ACV implants.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)428-435
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
Volume30
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Aciclovir
  • Controlled release
  • Herpes simplex
  • Murine model
  • Recrudescence
  • Silicone
  • Vero

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Development of an aciclovir implant for the effective long-term control of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in Vero cells and in experimentally infected SKH-1 mice'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this