Determination of inhibitory concentrations of antiviral agents in cell culture by use of an enzyme immunoassay with virus-specific, peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibodies.

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to determine 50% inhibitory concentrations of drugs which suppress Semliki Forest virus replication is described. Inhibition of virus replication was measured in L-cells, seeded as monolayers in 96-well plates by use of horseradish peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibodies directed against the E1 glycoprotein of Semliki Forest virus. The antiviral agents tested were cycloheximide, tunicamycin, NH4Cl, and disodium cromoglycate. The 50% inhibitory concentration of these antiviral agents was arbitrarily defined as the concentration of drug, in culture medium, associated with 50% reduction of the control absorbance value measured on Semliki Forest virus-infected cells without drug in the culture fluid. Twenty-two hours after infection the 50% inhibitory concentrations of the drugs were 0.2 microgram/ml for cycloheximide, 0.8 microgram/ml for tunicamycin, 0.3 mg/ml for NH4Cl, and 4.9 mg/ml for disodium cromoglycate. These values are similar to those determined by others with conventional methods of virus quantification. This test is sensitive and easy to perform and therefore is suited for large-scale experiments.