[The virostatic effect of adenine-arabinoside monophosphate. Experimental findings and preliminary clinical...

Adenine arabinoside (Ara-A), a synthetic nucleoside, is an antiviral agent, which is effective against poxviruses and viruses of the herpes group. The monophosphate (Ara-AMP) has the great advantage of better solubility, compared to the parent compound. Experimental studies show the outstanding effect of Ara-AMP on the encephalitis by vaccinia-virus in white mice. Even after immunesuppression by total body irradiation, the survival rate of the Ara-AMP treated animals was significantly higher compared to the untreated controls. In experimental vaccinia-virus infections in rabbits, who had undergone total body irradiation. Ara-AMP has a favourable influence upon the course of the disease and the prognosis. Some clinical observations in children with immunesuppression, who suffered from generalized zoster of varicella-infections, are reported. Furthermore in cases of viral encephalitis Ara-AMP was successful. Controlled studies of a greater number of patients on the therapeutic value of Ara-AMP in infections with DNS-viruses are needed.