Enhanced replication of herpes simplex virus by hexamethylene bisacetamide

Hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) is a potent inducer of differentiation of tumor cells. The effect of HMBA on cell growth and replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) was investigated in HEp-2 epidermal cells, IMR-32 neuronal cells, K562 myeloid cells, Daudi Burkitt lymphoma cells, and CCRF-CEM T-lymphoid cells. The growth of HEp-2 and IMR-32 cells was not affected by HMBA at concentrations from 0.5 through 2 mM. The growth of K562, Daudi, and CCRF-CEM cells was inhibited by HMBA at concentrations from 1 through 5 mM. When HSV-infected cells were incubated with 0.5 through 5 mM HMBA, a dose-dependent increase in virus yield was observed in HEp-2 and IMR-32 cells, but not in the other cell lines. These findings indicate that HMBA enhances the replication of HSV in epidermal and neuronal cells and that HMBA therapy may be responsible for the development of herpetic lesions.