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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Ribavirin induces widespread accumulation of IMP dehydrogenase into rods/rings structures in multiple major mouse organs

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Author(s):
Keppeke, Gerson Dierley [1] ; Calise, S. John [2] ; Chan, Edward K. L. [2] ; Andrade, Luis Eduardo C. [1]
Total Authors: 4
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Rheumatol Div, Rua Botucatu 740, BR-04023062 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Florida, Dept Oral Biol, 1395 Ctr Dr, Gainesville, FL 32610 - USA
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Antiviral Research; v. 162, p. 130-135, FEB 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 2
Abstract

Ribavirin (RBV) is a guanosine analogue triazole most commonly used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. Although its mechanism of action is a matter of debate, several possibilities have been proposed, including depletion of guanine nucleotides through inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). IMPDH has been shown to assemble into micron-scale rod- and ring-shaped structures (rods/rings or RR), also called ``IMPDH filaments,{''} both in vitro and in vivo. Formation of RR structures can occur naturally, potentially to influence IMPDH activity, or when de novo guanosine monophosphate biosynthesis or IMPDH itself are inhibited by nutrient deprivation or drugs like RBV. Numerous studies have also reported the occurrence of autoantibodies targeting RR structures (anti-RR) in HCV patients previously treated or under treatment with interferon-alpha and ribavirin (IFN/RBV) combination therapy. For this brief study, we considered the strong association between RR autoantibodies and IFN/RBV treatment, and the lack of data assessing how RBV affects RR formation in a variety of tissues in vivo. First, RR structures formed in the spleen and pancreas of normal mice without any treatment. Then, in RBV-treated mice, we detected RR structures in a number of tissues, including stomach, liver, spleen, kidney, brain, skin, and cardiac and skeletal muscle. We made several intriguing observations: predominance of RR structures in the mucosa and submucosa layers of the stomach wall; a high proportion of RR-positive cells in the cerebral cortex, suggesting that RBV actually crosses the blood-brain barrier; and a higher ratio of rings to rods in the epidermis compared to the dermis layer of the skin. Screening for RR structures appears to be a useful method to track tissue penetration of RBV and the many RR-inducing drugs previously identified. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 11/12448-0 - Antibodies anti-"Rods & Rings", HCV and ribavirin/interferon: A human model of autoantibodies generation.
Grantee:Gerson Dierley Keppeke
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate