Effect of oxamisole on immune parameters of mice infected with murine hepatitis.

The effects of Oxamisole, 2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-2-phenyl-8,8- dimethoxyimidazo[1,2a]pyridine on immune parameters of mice infected with murine hepatitis were investigated. Young Swiss Webster mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with the Friend-Braunsteiner strain of murine hepatitis virus and with various doses of Oxamisole at 48 h pre- 24 h pre-, and 4 h post-virus exposure. Antiviral activity was seen in the drug-treated mice which was approximated on the basis of 21-day survival frequency and hepatic discoloration, SGOT and SGPT levels and amount of infectious virus recoverable from the liver. On day 4 post-viral exposure, splenic cells from some of the drug- and placebo-treated cells of infected mice injected with Oxamisole, 25 mg/kg/day, produced significantly more interleukin-1 and interleukin-2 than cells of infected mice treated with saline only. Similarly, mice treated with 25 mg/kg/day of this compound had cells with significantly increased antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity as compared with placebo treated animals. However, cells from mice treated with Oxamisole did not demonstrate altered natural killer cell activity. It is concluded that Oxamisole, when administered to mice infected with murine hepatitis virus, has antiviral properties which possibly are mediated through the immunomodulatory effects of this compound on the immune system.