Cell culture studies on the antiviral activity of ether derivatives of 5-hydroxymethyldeoxyuridine.

The antiviral activity of several ether derivatives of 5-hydroxymethyldeoxyuridine against the herpesvirus of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis was determined in monolayer cultures of secondary bovine fetal kidney cells. 5-Methoxy-methyldeoxyuridine (OCH(3)UdR) was found to be markedly inhibitory against this virus. Pretreatment of the cells with OCH(3)UdR, simultaneous addition of OCH(3)UdR with virus to the cells, and postinfection treatment with OCH(3)UdR were found to be effective in inhibiting virus-induced cytopathogenic effect. Against this virus, OCH(3)UdR was found to be as potent as 5-iododeoxyuridine and cytosine arabinoside. The alpha-anomer of OCH(3)UdR did not show antiviral activity. Preliminarly toxicity studies indicate that OCH(3)UdR has a very low acute toxicity.