IN VITRO STUDY OF ANTI-INFLUENZA ACTIVITY OF PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID AND PROSPECTS OF NASAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT ON ITS BASE

Introduction Viral diseases are widely spread in the living world, e.g. more than two hundred pathogenic types of viruses for human are currently described [1]. Among different types of human viral diseases, a special role belongs to acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) due to their easy spreading among people, strong transmissibility, and frequent recurrences, especially among children. Thus, according to the literature data, an adult on the average has up to three ARVI recurrences per year, and children have up to eight ARVI recurrences per year. Moreover, ARVI may initiate different complications both, in upper and lower respiratory tract, and in other organs (ears, heart, brain, kidneys, joints etc.) [2, 3]. Currently, medical practice has a very limited number of drugs with antiviral activity for treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. Each of these drugs influences on different stages of virus life cycle (in particular, influenza virus) in human cells. Drugs of the first group of inactivate virus particles outside the cell, such as cation-active antiseptics. Drugs of the second group influence the processes of adsorption and penetration of the virus into cell, as well as its removal from the cell, such as membrane protein M2 inhibitors and neuraminidase inhibitors. Drugs of the third group influence replication of genetic material, assembling of viruses, such as interferons, interferonogens, anomalous nucleotides, protease inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, etc. [4]. In addition, it should be noted that drugs for etiotropic and symptomatic treatment of influenza / ARVI are in general represented by products for systemic administration (tablets, capsules, suppositories, injections) and there are very few drugs for local administration (drops, sprays). One work (5) presents data about drugs for nasal administration in Ukrainian pharmaceutical market: about 55 % of them are vasoconstrictors, 14 % are interferons, 8% are antiseptics, and 1 % is a fibrinolysis inhibitor. All these drugs have their own advantages and disadvantages, but none of them has universal antiviral properties and, furthermore, there are no complex drugs with concomitant antipathogenic and symptom relief effects. One of the promising substances that exhibit antiviral activity is a vitamin-like substance, paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA). From literature data, we know about its activity against herpes simplex virus and adenovirus, as well as about interferonogenic activity of this substance [6]. Drug “Actipol” for local treatment of viral eye conjunctivitis and keratitis based on this substance has been developed in the Russian Federation [7]. Another promising substance with antiviral activity is ε-aminocaproic acid (ACA). From the literature sources, we know about antiviral activity of ACA and, in particular, against influenza virus [8]. This substance has an effect on some life cycle processes of influenza virus in the cell: penetration of virus into the cell, assembling of virus proteins and some other. Drug “ACA” for local and systemic treatment of influenza based on this substance has been developed and introduced into practice in Ukraine [9]. These substances have good physical-chemical indexes of stability, low price, and they are practically nontoxic. All these facts encouraged of authors to carry out a more detailed study of antiviral activity of these substances in order to ground their inclusion into formulation of a complex nasal drug for local treatment and prevention of influenza / ARVI. The aim of this work is study antiviral activity of para-aminobenzoic acid, ε-aminocaproic acid, and their mixture against influenza virus by in vitro methods.