Dipyridamole, an inhibitor of mengovirus replication in FL and L cells.

Dipyridamole showed an antiviral activity aganinst mengovirus in FL cells using the agar diffusion plaque inhibition test, plaque reduction test, tube titration test, and virus yield test after one replication cycle. With the last two tests mentioned above the inhibitory action was also confirmed in L cells. In consequence of the known transport inhibition of uridine into the cell in presence of dipyridamole only a very small incorporation of 3H-uridine into acid-insoluble material could be demonstrated. Applying the method of prelabelling of FL cells at 16 degrees C for 1 h with subsequent addition of dipyridamole the drug failed to show an effect on cellular RNA synthesis per se in uninfected cells whereas the viral RNA synthesis in mengo-virus-infected L cells was completely depressed.