Sofosbuvir protects Zika virus-infected mice from mortality, preventing short- and long-term sequelae

Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 25;7(1):9409. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09797-8.

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) causes significant public health concerns because of its association with congenital malformations, neurological disorders in adults, and, more recently, death. Considering the necessity to mitigate ZIKV-associated diseases, antiviral interventions are an urgent necessity. Sofosbuvir, a drug in clinical use against hepatitis C virus (HCV), is among the FDA-approved substances endowed with anti-ZIKV activity. In this work, we further investigated the in vivo activity of sofosbuvir against ZIKV. Neonatal Swiss mice were infected with ZIKV (2 × 107 PFU) and treated with sofosbuvir at 20 mg/kg/day, a concentration compatible with pre-clinical development of this drug. We found that sofosbuvir reduced acute levels of ZIKV from 60 to 90% in different anatomical compartments, such as the blood plasma, spleen, kidney, and brain. Early treatment with sofosbuvir doubled the percentage and time of survival of ZIKV-infected animals. Sofosbuvir also prevented the acute neuromotor impairment triggered by ZIKV. In the long-term behavioural analysis of ZIKV-associated sequelae, sofosbuvir prevented loss of hippocampal- and amygdala-dependent memory. Our results indicate that sofosbuvir inhibits ZIKV replication in vivo, which is consistent with the prospective necessity of antiviral drugs to treat ZIKV-infected individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Memory
  • Mice
  • RNA, Viral
  • Reflex, Righting
  • Sofosbuvir / administration & dosage
  • Sofosbuvir / pharmacology*
  • Vero Cells
  • Virus Replication / drug effects
  • Zika Virus / physiology*
  • Zika Virus Infection / drug therapy*
  • Zika Virus Infection / mortality

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • RNA, Viral
  • Sofosbuvir