Reduction of influenza virus-induced lung inflammation and mortality in animals treated with a phosophodisestrase-4 inhibitor and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

Inflammatory responses contribute to the morbidity and mortality of severe influenza. Current antiviral therapy offers limited success in treating severe influenza infection with both H1N1 and H5N1 viruses. We evaluated the effect of a neuraminidase inhibitor in combination with immunomodulatory drugs in vitro and in a mouse model of influenza A H1N1 infection by determining survival rate, lung inflammation markers and histopathology.