The effects of 5-azacytidine, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate and sodium n-butyrate on reactivation of alphaherpesvirus saimiri from explant cultures of latently infected rabbit dorsal root ganglia

Abstract

The DNA hypomethylating agent 5-azacytidine greatly increased the reactivation of alphaherpesvirus saimiri-1 (alpha HVS) from latently infected rabbit dorsal root ganglia, although it inhibited the virus yield and plaque formation efficiency of alpha HVS in Vero cells. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (a protein kinase C activator) and sodium n-butyrate both had a stimulating action on replication in Vero cells but did not affect the release of alpha HVS from latently infected rabbit dorsal root ganglia.