JP3988014B2 - Antiviral agent - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a preventive agent for viral infections.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Many viral infections are known, including AIDS caused by hepatitis and HIV. Among them, respiratory infectious viruses such as influenza virus, rhinovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, RS virus, adenovirus, reovirus, etc. grow in epithelial cells from the nasal cavity, pharynx, trachea, bronchus and lung, and cold symptoms It is a causative virus that causes many diseases in daily life. Most of them recover with symptoms such as mild rhinitis and pharyngitis, but serious complications such as pneumonia may result in death. Appears as a symptom when the immune system is weakened due to stress, etc., and the living body cannot fully defend the infection. Symptomatic treatment is common as the current treatment method, such as antipyretic analgesics such as acetaminophen, allergic symptoms such as chlorpheniramine maleate, cold medicines combined with antitussives such as methylephedrine hydrochloride, etc. Often taken as a non-prescription drug. In addition, when the symptoms start to become relatively severe, doctors are taking antibacterial agents and taking vitamins to deal with the above-mentioned common cold and bacterial secondary infections at hospitals. .
[0003]
On the other hand, as a preventive prescription, inoculation of an inactivated vaccine against the most important influenza among these causative viruses is used before the epidemic period. Influenza virus has many strains due to the difference in surface antigens, and is susceptible to antigenic mutation. Therefore, matching the antigen structure between vaccine strains and epidemic strains is an important issue, and it differs from the vaccine inoculated by prediction. Effectiveness cannot be demonstrated when a stock is prevalent. In addition, many types of respiratory infectious viruses are known as described above, and there are many subtypes for each virus. In some cases, the epidemic virus type (subtype) is not right.
[0004]
In addition, gargle solution based on iodine preparations is used as a preventive method for respiratory infectious virus infection, but has a disadvantage of having a peculiar bitter taste. Amantadine or rimantadine, which has anti-influenza virus type A action, is used in the United States for the purpose of preventing infection (MMWR, 44, RR-3, 1995). There are many restrictions in terms of general dissemination, such as the possibility of
[0005]
Thus, at present, the preventive method for respiratory infectious virus infection is not always sufficient, and there remains a problem to be solved. On the other hand, it has been reported in PCT / US98 / 00380 that glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbic acid, and N-acetylcysteine have an infection-suppressing effect by cell culture, but the effect in vivo is unknown. Moreover, although the inhibitory effect of the influenza virus in the old mouse | mouth of vitamin E is reported, the very long-term ingestion for 6 weeks or more is required. It has also been reported that selenocystine has an inhibitory effect on influenza virus infection in mice (Ho et al, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 1967).
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention provides an active ingredient for preventing viral infections without satisfactory preventive measures, and particularly provides an active ingredient for preventing morbidity by taking it at the time of epidemic against respiratory infection virus infections. There is.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a result of intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has found that cystine has a preventive effect against influenza virus infection and has completed the present invention. That is, the invention according to the present application is a preventive agent for influenza virus infection characterized by containing cystine as an active ingredient.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Examples of viral infections to which the preventive agent of the present invention can be applied include herpes zoster caused by herpes virus, diarrhea caused by rotavirus, viral hepatitis, AIDS, etc., especially for respiratory infectious viruses And effective. In addition to humans, it can be applied to poultry such as turkeys and chickens and livestock such as pigs and horses as the target organisms for respiratory infectious viruses. Utilization of these economic animals not only reduces the economic loss of livestock, but is often used as food, so it becomes an important use from the viewpoint of preventing infection to humans.
[0009]
The prophylactic agent used may be administered in an amount of 200 μg / kg to 300 mg / kg, preferably 500 μg / kg to 100 mg / kg of cystine as an active ingredient at a time or several times a day. Can be administered in divided doses. The administration period is not particularly limited.
[0010]
The active ingredient cystine may be used in the form of tablets, granules, powders, capsules, elixirs, microcapsules or suspensions, and powdered drinks such as powdered milk, beverages, foods such as confectionery, etc. It can also be used by adding to the inside. Moreover, in poultry and livestock, it can be added orally to feed. In addition to oral administration before meals or after meals, a solution of the active ingredient can be sprayed nasally.
The cystine used as the active ingredient of the present invention is preferably L-cystine, and can be used as a physiologically recognized salt compound or mixture, and can also be used as a carrier, excipient, binder, preservative, stabilizer, etc. And can be used in unit dosage forms required for accepted formulation practice. The amount of active substance in these compositions or formulations may be such that an appropriate dosage in the indicated range is obtained.
Examples of specific components that can be incorporated into tablets, capsules and the like are as follows. Binders such as tragacanth, gum arabic, corn starch or gelatin; excipients such as microcrystalline cellulose; leavening agents such as corn starch, pregelatinized starch, alginic acid; lubricants such as magnesium stearate; sucrose Sweeteners such as lactose or aspartame; flavoring agents such as peppermint, red oil or cherry; if the dispensing unit form is a capsule, the material of the type described above should further contain a liquid carrier such as fat Can do. Various other materials can be present as clothing or to alter the physical form of the dispensing unit in other ways. For instance, tablets may be taken with shellac, sugar or both. A syrup or elixir may contain the active compound, sucrose as a sweetening agent, methyl and propylparabens as preservatives, a dye and cherry or orange flavor. In addition, various vitamins and various amino acids may be contained.
[0011]
When an enteric preparation is used, for example, an aqueous solution of hydroxylphenylmethylcellulose is used as a pretreatment agent, or an aqueous solution of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate and an aqueous solution of polyacetin are used as an application agent, and they may be used as an enteric preparation by a conventional method. .
Hereinafter, the effectiveness is shown by an Example.
[0012]
【Example】
A 6-week-old BALB / c female mouse in the growth period is raised for 1 week on a diet containing 20% casein (basic diet) using protein as a protein source, then switched to a diet supplemented with 0.5% L-cystine. Reared for 2 weeks. In addition, a control group was continuously bred with a basic diet. Ten animals were used for the test in each group. Subsequently, 10 ⁵ PFU of influenza virus A / Aichi / 2/68 (H3N2) was intranasally inoculated. On the fifth day after virus inoculation, the lungs of the mice were removed, and the amount of the virus was determined as the infectivity titer by plaque formation using MDCK cells (from dog kidney). The body weight before and after infection was measured.
The results are shown in FIGS. When the control group was a basic dietary intake group to which L-cystine was not added, the viral viral load was 6.11 ± 0.21 log ₁₀ PFU / g, whereas in the L-cystine addition group, 5.72 ± It was 0.25 log ₁₀ PFU / g, and showed a significant (P <0.05) infection suppression effect. On the other hand, the control group showed a weight loss of 0.90% after 5 days due to infection, whereas the L-cystine addition group showed a weight gain of 3.48%. Therefore, it was shown that the 0.5% L-cystine addition group overcomes the weight loss disorder caused by influenza virus infection.
【The invention's effect】
With the virus infection preventive agent of the present invention, virus infection can be suppressed, and weight loss associated with infection can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows the amount of influenza virus in the lungs of mice on the fifth day of infection in Examples.
FIG. 2 shows the weight change rate of mice in 5 days after infection in Examples.

Claims (1)

An agent for preventing influenza virus infection, comprising cystine as an active ingredient.

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