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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Measuring Dengue Virus RNA in the Culture Supernatant of Infected Cells by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published on: November 1, 2018
Inhibition of dengue virus replication by mycophenolic acid and ribavirin
Ratree Takhampunya1,2, Sukathida Ubol1, Huo-Shu Houng3
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Abstract:
Dengue viruses (DEN), mosquito-borne members of the family Flaviviridae, are human pathogens of global significance. The effects of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and ribavirin (RBV) on DEN replication in monkey kidney (LLC-MK2) cells were examined. MPA (IC(50)=0.4+/-0.3 microM) and RBV (IC(50)=50.9+/-18 microM) inhibited DEN2 replication. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR of viral RNA and plaque assays of virions from DEN2-infected and MPA (10 microM)- and RBV (> or =200 microM)-treated cells showed a fivefold increase in defective viral RNA production by cells treated with each drug. Moreover, a dramatic reduction of intracellular viral replicase activity was seen by in vitro replicase assays. Guanosine reversed the inhibition of these compounds, suggesting that one mode of antiviral action of MPA and RBV is by inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase and thereby depletion of the intracellular GTP pool. In addition, RBV may act by competing with guanine-nucleotide precursors in viral RNA translation, replication and 5' capping.
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