Action of antischistosomal drugs, hycanthone and its analog 1A-4 N-oxide, on viral interferon induction

Two antischistosomal drugs, hycanthone and its indazole analog 1A-4 N-soxide, of which the former is a potent mutagen, differed markedly in their ability to depress interferon induction by Influenza Virus in rhesus monkey kidney (LLC-MK2) cell cultures. At the concentration of 10 micron/ml, hycanthone reduced interferon yields as much as 73%; the same quantity of analog had no adverse effect on interferon induction. Pretreatment of cell cultures with the analog negated the inhibitory activity of hycanthone on viral interferon induction; however, this did not occur when the sequence was reversed. Interferon-mediated Antiviral cellular resistance was not affected when cell cultures were pretreated with either hycanthone or 1A-4 N-oxide. A possible association may exist between the mutagenicity of antischistosomal drugs and their ability to affect interferon synthesis.