Pathogenicity in mice of strains of herpes simplex virus which are resistant to acyclovir in vitro and in vivo.

Mice infected with three different isolates of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and treated with acyclovir (acycloguanosine; ACV) showed low levels of virus replication during the acute phase of infection. However, virus isolated from such treated mice did not show increased resistance to ACV. In contrast, resistant virus was readily isolated in vitro by passaging HSV in the presence of the drug. The degree of resistance was determined, in part, by the nature of the cells used to test the virus. The majority of ACV-resistant strains induced low or undetectable levels of HSV-specified thymidine kinase (TK), the enzyme responsible for phosphorylating ACV in infected cells. The TK-resistant strains were attenuated when injected into mice as indicated by reductions in virus replication, inflammation, and establishment of latent infections in sensory ganglia. The reduced virulence of the TK- strains was most marked after intracerebral inoculation, where the lethal dose was increased more than 100-fold compared with the parental isolates. However, one mutant is described which induced high levels of TK but was highly resistant to ACV and retained virulence for mice.