Anti Virals Flashcards
(95 cards)
how do anti-virals work
they suppress the rate of replication of a virus so the host immune system can fight the infection
what is the structure of the herpes virus
spherical iscoahedron, double stranded linear DNA, enveloped, more than 35 proteins
what are the features of the herpes virus
encodes any enzymes, establish latent infections, lifelong persistence, significant cause of death in immunocompromised hosts, some can cause cancer
what are the three subfamilies of the herpes virus
alpha, beta, gamma
what distinguishes the herpes virus subfamilies
their genetic makeup
what strains of herpes are alpha subfamily
herpres simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus
what strains of herpes are beta subfamily
cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6 and 7
what strains of herpes are gamma subfamily
epstein-barr virus, human herpesvirus 8
what does HSV-1 cause
oropharyngeal sores in children
what does HSV-2 cause
herpes genitalia in young adults
what are the virulence factors of HSV-1 and HSV-2
gC bonds complement C3b (innate immune system)
gE is an Fc receptor for IgG (adaptive immune system)
how are HSV strains spread
by contact; the virus is shed in saliva, tears, genital and other secretions
what is the replication cycle of HSV-2
- host cell membrane fuses with viral envelope so nucleocapsid can enter the cytoplasm
- viral capsid is uncaoted and viral DNA of the genome enters the cell’s nucleus
- new viral DNA is synthesised by the nucleus
- mRNAs transported on cytoplasmic ribosomes into capsid and spike proteins
- capsid proteins enter the nucleus and combine with viral genomes to form new nucleocapsids
- viruses bud through the nuclear membrane but do not acquire their final envelope and spikes until reaching a Golgi cimpartment in the cytoplasm; exocytosis releases the new virons
what is aciclovir
structural analogue of guanosine that inhibits viral DNA synthesis
what formulations does aciclovir come in
topical, oral, IV
what viruses can aciclovir treat
HSV1 and 2, varicellar-zoster virus
what is the aciclovir mechanism of action
prodrug phosphorylated to aciclovir tri-phosphate (carried out by a viral thymidine kinase) with subsequent phosphorylation from host kinases
it is a chain terminator that gets incorporated into replicating viral DNA strand and blocking further replication; its incorporated by viral DNA polymerase
treatment for HSV-2
aciclovir 400mg tds for 7-10 days
valaciclovir 1000mg bd for 7-10 days
famciclovir 250mg tds for 7-10 days
what is valaciclovir
L-valyl ester drodrug of aciclovir
only available orally but has high oral bioavailability due to ester
what are the adverse effects of valaciclovir
headache, nausea, weakness, dizziness, confusion
what is famiciclovir
cyclic guanine analogue, converted to penciclovir in the liver and intestines
only available orally
what formulation is penciclovir used in
topical only, due to poor bioavailability
what are some adverse effects of famiciclovir
headache, GI
what is the structure of the varicellar-zoster virus
double stranded DNA, enveloped virus, long and short genome fragments, only one antigenic serotype