Inhibitory effect of mycophenolic acid on the replication of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) remain two of the most important pathogens of farmed trout worldwide. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is an inhibitor of cellular inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), an enzyme that catalyzes an essential step in the biosynthesis of GTP. In this report, the antiviral activity of MPA against IPNV and VHSV in cell culture was assessed. Cell viability, virus yield, protein and RNA synthesis determinations were used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of MPA. MPA caused a dose-dependent inhibition of IPNV and VHSV replication. It was found that MPA had a particularly potent effect against IPNV, inhibiting the production of infectious virus more than 105-fold. MPA was also highly effective in preventing viral protein synthesis. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to measure viral RNA in cells infected by IPNV or VHSV to evaluate the inhibitory capacity of MPA as well as to compare MPA to the established antiviral drug ribavirin. MPA showed a good efficacy in decreasing accumulation of viral RNA at low concentrations. Finally, time of addition and wash out experiments suggested that MPA may have a dual mechanism of action, targeting both a cell and a viral function. This study provides evidence that MPA can function as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug for use in therapy of rainbow trout diseases.