Failure of Adenine Arabinoside to Modify Scrapie in Mice

Enhanced synthesis of DNA in brains of scrapie-affected mice prompted Kimberlin & Hunter (1967) to examine the effect of inhibitors of DNA synthesis. No protection or delay was observed in mice inoculated intracerebrally, and receiving combined intracerebral-intraperitoneal treatment. The high penetrability of adenine arabinoside into the central nervous system and its relatively high activity against neurotropic DNA viral infections (Dixon et al. 1969 Schardein & Sidwell 1969; Sloan et al. 1969) inspired an examination of its possible effectiveness in scrapie.

Swiss Webster mice were inoculated intracerebrally with 0.03 ml. of 10-1 or 10-4 saline suspensions of scrapie mouse brain, using the sixth mouse passage of the Chandler strain. Beginning the day before inoculation and semi-weekly thereafter one group of mice receiving each concentration of inoculum was treated subcutaneously with adenine arabinoside (9-β-d-arabinofuranosyladenine), 200–300 mg./kg.; another group of mice at each concentration of inoculum received equal volumes of buffered saline solution.