Amantadine hydrochloride inhibition of early and late stages of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-cell interactions

Amantadine hydrochloride inhibits the CA1371, UBC, and WE strains of LCM in both BHK21/13S and L-929 cells. The compound has no direct inactivating effect on virus infectivity nor does it affect the adsorption of virus to cells. By observing the susceptibility of cell-adsorbed virus to neutralizing antibody, amantadine was shown to delay virion penetration. Furthermore, addition of the drug at any time during ongoing viral replication, with all cells scoring as infective centers, inhibits virus synthesis and release.