Mode of Action of the Antiviral Activity of Amantadine in Tissue Culture

TLDR

Amantadine’s antiviral effects have been investigated in tissue culture, with earlier work suggesting it can inhibit viral replication. Amantadine hydrochloride blocks viral penetration into host cells without being virucidal, does not interfere with adsorption or neuraminidase activity, and has not shown significant resistance development in tissue culture.

Abstract

Hoffmann , C. E. (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc., Wilmington, Del. ), E. M. Neumayer, R. F. Haff, and R. A. Goldsby . Mode of action of the antiviral activity of amantadine in tissue culture. J. Bacteriol. 90: 623–628. 1965.—Amantadine hydrochloride has shown antiviral activity in tissue culture, in ovo, and in vivo. Experiments with it during the course of virus proliferation indicate that its antiviral activity is due to inhibition of virus penetration into the host cell. These studies indicate that amantadine hydrochloride is not virucidal at concentrations active in tissue culture. It does not block virus adsorption to host cells, nor does it affect the virus enzyme neuraminidase. In the presence of amantadine hydrochloride, virus adsorbed to susceptible cells remains at the cell surface in an infective state. An attempt to demonstrate high development of resistance to the antiviral action of amantadine hydrochloride in tissue culture has been unsuccessful.