Abstract
BackgroundFeline calicivirus (FCV) is a common and highly prevalent pathogen causing upper respiratory diseases in kittens and felines in recent years. Due to the substantial genetic variability of the viral genes, existing vaccines cannot provide complete protection. Therefore, research on FCV antiviral drugs has received much attention.ResultsIn this study, we found that copper chloride had dose-dependent antiviral effects on FCV in F81 cells. We also found that the combination of copper chloride and ribavirin had a synergistic protective effect against FCV in F81 cells. In contrast, the combination of copper chloride and horse anti-FCV immunoglobulin F (ab’)2 showed an antagonistic effect, likely because copper chloride has an effect on F (ab’)2 immunoglobulin; however, further research is needed to clarify this supposition.ConclusionsIn summary, we found that copper chloride had low cytotoxicity and significant antiviral effects on FCV in F81 cells, providing a new drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of FCV infection.
Highlights
Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common and highly prevalent pathogen causing upper respiratory diseases in kittens and felines in recent years
We found that copper chloride had low cytotoxicity in F81 cells
When the concentration of copper chloride was less than or equal to 200 μM, the relative cell viability of the F81 cells was higher than 50% after 24 h or 72 h of treatment, indicating that copper chloride can be regarded as nontoxic in this concentration range (Fig. 1)
Summary
Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common and highly prevalent pathogen causing upper respiratory diseases in kittens and felines in recent years. Research on FCV antiviral drugs has received much attention. Most felines (e.g., cats, tigers, and cheetahs) are susceptible, and infection in dogs has been reported in recent years [2, 3]. Researchers previously found that copper and copper compounds had antiviral effects against dengue virus, influenza virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro [17,18,19]. The copper (II) chloride complex has been utilized for its anticancer effects in vitro on human cervical cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma cell lines [21]. There have been no reports of the antiviral effect of copper chloride against FCV
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