Inhibitory effects of recombinant manganese superoxide dismutase on influenza virus infections in mice

The oxygen free-radical scavenger recombinant human manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was studied for its effects on influenza virus infections in mice when used alone and in combination with ribavirin. Mice challenged with influenza A/NWS/33 (H1N1) virus were treated parenterally in doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of body weight per day every 8 h for 5 days beginning at 48 h post-virus exposure. An increase in mean day to death, lessened decline in arterial oxygen saturation, and reduced lung consolidation and lung virus titers occurred in the treated animals. To determine the influence of viral challenge, experiments were run in which mice were infected with a 100 or 75% lethal dose of virus and were treated intravenously once daily for 5 days beginning 96 h after virus exposure. Weak inhibition of the mortality rate was seen in mice receiving the high viral challenge, whereas significant inhibition occurred in the animals infected with the lower viral challenge, indicating that MnSOD effects are virus dose dependent. To determine if treatment with small-particle aerosol would render an antiviral effect, infected mice were treated by this route for 1 h daily for 5 days beginning 72 h after virus exposure. A dose-responsive disease inhibition was seen. An infection induced by influenza B/Hong Kong/5/72 virus in mice was mildly inhibited by intravenous MnSOD treatment as seen by increased mean day to death, lessened arterial oxygen saturation decline, and lowered lung consolidation. MnSOD was well tolerated in all experiments. A combination of MnSOD and ribavirin, each administered with small-particle aerosol, resulted in a generally mild improvement of the disease induced by the influenza A virus compared with use of either material alone.