EFFECT OF TRISODIUM PHOSPHONOFORMATE AND IDOXURIDINE ON EXPERIMENTAL HERPES SIMPLEX KERATITIS IN IMMUNIZED AND NON‐IMMUNIZED RABBITS

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Abstract
The effect of trisodium phosphonoformate (PFA) was compared to that of idoxuridine (IDU) when applied topically in liquid and ointment preparations on herpetic keratitis in rabbits. PFA had a therapeutic effect but was not as effective as IDU in the vehicles tested. This was seen with herpes-immunized and non-immunized rabbits. A herpesvirus mutant inducing a PFA-resistant DNA polymerase was used to infect rabbit corneas. A comparison of the effect of PFA on the keratitis caused by this resistant mutant and the wild-type herpesvirus indicates that the therapeutic effect of PFA on the herpes keratitis was due to an inhibition of herpesvirus DNA polymerase.