Fluoxetine is a potent inhibitor of coxsackievirus replication.

Abstract

No antiviral drugs currently exist for the treatment of enterovirus infections, which are often severe and potentially life threatening. Molecular screening of small molecule libraries identified fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, as a potent inhibitor of coxsackievirus replication. Fluoxetine did not interfere with either viral entry or translation of the viral genome. Instead, fluoxetine and its metabolite norfluoxetine markedly reduced the synthesis of viral RNA and protein. In view of its favorable pharmacokinetics and safety profile, fluoxetine warrants additional study as a potential antiviral agent for enterovirus infections.

• Authors: Jun Zuo, Kevin K Quinn, Steve Kye, Paige Cooper, Robert Damoiseaux, Paul Krogstad
• Journal: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (Antimicrob Agents Chemother) Vol. 56 Issue 9 Pg. 4838-44 (Sep 2012) ISSN: 1098-6596 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22751539 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antidepressive Agents
• Antiviral Agents
• RNA, Viral
• Small Molecule Libraries
• Fluoxetine
• Green Fluorescent Proteins
• norfluoxetine

Topics

• Antidepressive Agents (pharmacology)
• Antiviral Agents (pharmacology)
• Enterovirus (drug effects, growth & development)
• Fluoxetine (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Genes, Reporter
• Green Fluorescent Proteins
• HeLa Cells
• High-Throughput Screening Assays
• Humans
• Inhibitory Concentration 50
• RNA, Viral (antagonists & inhibitors, biosynthesis)
• Small Molecule Libraries (pharmacology)
• Transfection
• Virus Replication (drug effects)