Anti-vaccinia activity of -thiochromanone-1-thiosemicarbazone in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract

A derivative of thiosemicarbazone, γ-thiochromanone-l-thiosemicarbazone (SN-13), which differed from N-methylisatin-β-thiosemicarbazone (marboran) in that the carbonyl group in the C2 position of N-methylisatin was lacking, has been found to possess an anti-vaccinia effect as determined by the pulp disc method of plaque inhibition and by inhibition of cytopathic effect in tube cultures of chick embryo cells as well as by prevention of mouse tail lesions by the vaccinia virus. In tube cultures, SN-13 was shown to be effective even when the treatment was started as late as 8 hr after virus infection, whereas no activity was observed with marboran when started from the 8th hr. SN-13 was as effective as marboran on cross treatments of vaccinia virus with the two compounds in tube cultures, either by treatment at an early or a late stage of the virus growth. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of SN-13 on vaccinia virus growth was completely reversed by actinomycin D similar to that observed with marboran in tube cultures. No additive effect of the two compounds was observed in animal tests.