Novel strategy with acidic arginine solution for the treatment of influenza A virus infection.

There is already an indication of a potential worldwide spread of influenza projected for this coming autumn and winter. In this review, we propose an aqueous arginine solution as a novel agent for preventive measures and possible chemotherapy against influenza A virus infection. Influenza A virus spreads among the human population through both droplets and direct contact, and hand and mouth wash are the primary preventive measures. Upon contact, influenza A virus infects epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tracts in the initial phase of infection and spreads over the mucosal surface of the tracts, leading to varying degrees of inflammation near the site of infection. Arginine inactivates enveloped viruses, including influenza virus at an acidic pH or elevated temperature and hence may be used for preventive measures as a disinfectant and also for treatment of the infection. Because of the low cytotoxicity of arginine, virus inactivation may be performed at the site of infection in the form of a liquid or spray of an aqueous arginine solution. Acidic solvents have been used as a disinfectant and, to a limited extent, as a virus inactivation agent. Arginine may have the edge over acidic solvents due to its safety, or at least it may be used as an alternative option to acidic solvents or more specific antiviral drugs. Arginine as well as acidic solvents use a virus inactivation mechanism fundamentally different from the mechanism of antiviral chemotherapeutic drugs, i.e., through weak, but multiple, interactions with viral components. This eliminates the possibility of generating resistant viruses against arginine treatments.