Role of complement inhibition in topical therapy of muco-cutaneous herpes simplex virus infections

A complement-inhibiting formulation with anti-inflammatory activity due to suppression of both the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation is presented for local treatment of muco-cutaneous lesions produced by Herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2. The drug contains glutaraldehyde, a strong inhibitor of the complement system, dimethylsulphoxyde, used as a vector modifying the barrier properties of the skin and 1,2-propylene glycol, a delipidating agent which increases the adhesiveness of the watery solutions to the skin surface. It proved to be devoid of adverse effects for normal skin of animal and humans, and produced rapid disappearance of herpetic neuralgia and accelerates the remission of local symptoms. The mechanism of action seems to be associated with the inhibition of local anaphylatoxin release (C3a and C5a) which are responsible for the acute evolution of the lesions produced by viruses of the Zoster-Varicella group and with a quick lethal effect on the parasitized cells which are selectively eliminated without affecting the adjoining normal cells of the host.