Pilot Study of the Safety and Tolerability of a Subconjunctival Penciclovir Implant in Cats Experimentally Infected with Herpesvirus.

PURPOSE: To assess safety and tolerability of a subconjunctival penciclovir implant in cats infected with feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1). METHODS: Subconjunctival blank (n = 4 cats) or penciclovir-impregnated (n = 6) silicone implants were placed bilaterally in 10 normal, FHV-1-naive cats 7-8 days before viral inoculation. Outcomes included disease score, FHV-1 serology, conjunctival viral load, Schirmer tear tests (STT), tear film break-up times (TFBUTs), conjunctival histology, goblet cell density (GCD), body weight, tear and plasma penciclovir concentration, and corneal ulcer evaluation. RESULTS: Both groups had similar clinical and histologic disease scores, STT values, TFBUTs, GCD, FHV-1 titers, viral loads, and body weight changes. No ocular or systemic signs of toxicity were noted. Tear penciclovir concentration varied widely among cats and across time points. Tear penciclovir concentrations exceeded the lowest published half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in 5/6 treated cats. Plasma penciclovir concentrations remained below 10 ng/mL. Cats with higher tear penciclovir concentrations at inoculation and/or time of peak disease had fewer corneal ulcers than cats in which tear penciclovir concentrations were inconsistent, low, or unrecordable. CONCLUSIONS: Subconjunctival blank and penciclovir-impregnated implants were well tolerated at the ocular surface and not associated with systemic toxicity, adverse effect, or appreciable plasma penciclovir concentrations. Tear penciclovir concentrations >IC50 were sometimes achieved, especially during burst release soon after implant placement. Further study is necessary to determine efficacy of locally delivered penciclovir when penciclovir concentration is consistently maintained above IC50. This will be especially useful in patients unable to receive systemic therapy.

In vitro cytotoxicity and antiviral efficacy against feline herpesvirus type 1 of famciclovir and its metabolites.

OBJECTIVES: To assess in vitro the antiviral efficacy against feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) and cytotoxicity for cultured feline cells of famciclovir and its metabolites, BRL 42359 and penciclovir. To investigate the effect of timing of penciclovir application on in vitro antiviral activity. PROCEDURES: Plaque reduction assays were used to estimate antiviral efficacy of all compounds and the effect of penciclovir exposure before or after exposure to a FHV-1 field isolate. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by assessing cell morphology and viable cell number for 72 h following exposure to each compound. RESULTS: The penciclovir concentration that inhibited FHV-1-induced plaque formation by 50% (IC50 ) was 0.86 µg/mL (3.4 µm). Famciclovir and BRL 42359 had no antiviral effect against FHV-1 at any concentration assessed. Antiviral activity was significantly enhanced when cells were exposed to 4 µm penciclovir (approximate IC50 ) for 1 h but not for 24 h before viral adsorption. Delaying exposure of cells to penciclovir for 1, 2, or 4 h after viral adsorption significantly enhanced antiviral activity. Relative to untreated control wells, >88% of cells remained viable when exposed to famciclovir (100 µm), BRL 42359 (1.06 mm), or penciclovir (40 µm) for 72 h. No morphologic evidence of cytotoxicity was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Penciclovir demonstrates potent antiviral activity against FHV-1 and may be effective at lower tissue, tear, and plasma concentrations than previously targeted. The duration of in vitro antiviral effect of penciclovir suggests that frequent famciclovir administration may be necessary in vivo. Famciclovir and BRL 42359 showed no signs of in vitro cytotoxicity.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in canine uveal melanocytic neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is expressed in benign or malignant canine uveal melanocytic neoplasms and whether expression correlates with malignancy. SAMPLE POPULATION: Tissue sections from 71 globes; 57 with benign (n = 15), malignant (34), or mixed (8) uveal melanocytic neoplasms; 10 with nonneoplastic disease; and 4 with no abnormalities. PROCEDURES: Bleached sections from all globes and canine kidney were incubated with mouse monoclonal antibody directed against rat COX-2 protein or mouse antibody isotype control. Location, intensity, and percentage of immunolabeled cells were scored. RESULTS: Expression of COX-2 was detected in all but 5 globes, all of which contained neoplasms. Expression of COX-2 was detected in regions infiltrated by neoplasia in 21 globes; however, definitive labeling of tumor cells was detected in only 2 of those. In the remaining 19 globes, COX-2 expression was detected in areas also labeled in globes without disease and globes with nonneoplastic disease, especially the aqueous outflow tract and ciliary body. However, only globes with uveal malignant melanomas had detectable COX-2 expression in the iris. Expression of COX-2 was detected in the ciliary body of more globes with uveal malignant melanoma (20/34) than in those without disease (1/4), with nonneoplastic disease (4/10), or with melanocytoma (3/15) or mixed neoplasms (3/8). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Canine globes with uveal melanocytic neoplasia appeared to express COX-2 in similar sites and with similar intensity as globes without neoplasia. Differentiation of benign from malignant canine uveal melanocytic neoplasms was not possible.

Assessment of viremia associated with experimental primary feline herpesvirus infection or presumed herpetic recrudescence in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To detect feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) in blood of cats undergoing experimental primary herpetic disease or with spontaneous disease presumed to be caused by FHV-1 reactivation. ANIMALS: 6 young specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats and 34 adult cats from a shelter. PROCEDURES: Conjunctiva and nares of SPF cats were inoculated with FHV-1, and cats were monitored for 21 days. Periodically, blood was collected for CBC, serum biochemical analyses, and detection of FHV-1 DNA via PCR assay. For shelter cats, a conjunctival swab specimen was collected for FHV-1 PCR assay, and blood mononuclear cells were tested via virus isolation (with or without hydrocortisone) and FHV-1 PCR assay. RESULTS: All SPF cats developed clinical and clinicopathologic evidence of upper respiratory tract and ocular disease only. Via PCR assay, FHV-1 DNA was detected in blood of all SPF cats at least once between 2 and 15 days after inoculation. Feline herpesvirus type 1 DNA was detected in conjunctival swabs of 27 shelter cats; 25 had clinical signs of herpetic infection. However, virus was not isolated from mononuclear cell samples of any shelter cat regardless of passage number or whether hydrocortisone was present in the culture medium; FHV-1 DNA was not detected in any mononuclear cell sample collected from shelter cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A brief period of viremia occurred in cats undergoing primary herpetic disease but not in cats undergoing presumed recrudescent herpetic disease. Viremia may be important in the pathogenesis of primary herpetic disease but seems unlikely to be associated with recrudescent disease.

Effects of sampling instrument and processing technique on DNA yield and detection rate for feline herpesvirus-1 via polymerase chain reaction assay.

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of disease severity, sampling instrument, and processing technique on extracted DNA yield and detection rate for feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) via PCR assay. SAMPLE POPULATION: Crandell-Rees feline kidney (CRFK) cells grown in vitro and conjunctival samples from 40 eyes of 20 cats. PROCEDURES: Samples of CRFK cells (collected by use of a swab or cytology brush, with or without suspension in PBS solution) underwent DNA extraction; DNA yield was quantified spectrophotometrically. In affected cats, signs of herpetic disease were subjectively assessed. Conjunctival swab and brush samples were collected bilaterally for measurement of DNA concentration; a defined mass (DM) of DNA and defined volume (DV) of sample were assessed for FHV-1 via PCR assays. RESULTS: For CRFK cells, DNA yields from unsuspended swabs and brushes were greater than for suspended swabs and brushes; suspended swab samples yielded less DNA than suspended brush samples. For conjunctival samples, DNA yields from swabs were greater than for brushes. Clinical score was not correlated with double-stranded DNA yield collected via either sampling instrument; however, cats with FHV-1-positive assay results had higher clinical scores than cats with FHV-1-negative results. Detection of FHV-1 in swab and brush samples was similar. Double-stranded DNA yield and FHV-1 detection were inversely related via DM-PCR assay. The DV-PCR assay had a significantly higher FHV-1 detection rate than the DM-PCR assay. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The DV-PCR assay of DNA extracted from an unsuspended swab sample was the preferred method for assessment of conjunctival shedding of FHV-1 in cats.

Effects of temperature and time in transit on polymerase chain reaction detection of feline herpesvirus DNA.

The purpose of this study was to report methods currently recommended by commercial laboratories for collecting, shipping, and processing of samples for feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to determine the effect of temperature and time on the ability of 1 PCR method to detect FHV-1 DNA in experimental and clinical samples. Eleven laboratories offering FHV-1 PCR were surveyed. There was notable variation in sample types and shipping conditions recommended and PCR protocols used by these laboratories. Subsequently, using a single PCR method, FHV-1 DNA was detected in samples exposed to various temperatures within the laboratory. Finally, FHV-1 PCR was performed on paired clinical samples collected from 25 cats and shipped at ambient temperatures via US Postal Service (USPS) or with an ice pack via a courier. Samples sent by USPS were exposed to significantly longer transit time and arrived at significantly higher temperature than did samples sent by courier. Despite this, all sample pairs yielded concordant results when tested for FHV-1 DNA using this PCR method. Although it may not be necessary for samples collected for detection of FHV-1 DNA using this PCR method to be shipped under the most expedient or temperature-controlled conditions, this should be verified for a variety of PCR assays and sample types.