Protection of Poliovirus-infected Tissue-culture Cells using the I-Benzyl, I-Pentyl and I-Isopropyl Derivatives of 2-(α-Hydroxybenzyl)-benzimidazole

Abstract

THE selective protection given by 1-alkyl-2-(α-hydroxybenzyl)-benzimidazoles (I) to ERK cells, infected with types 1, 2, and 3 polio virus, increases from the 1-methyl to the 1-propyl compound, the effect diminishing on passing to the 1-butyl compound¹. In the case of HBB (I; R = H), the D-isomer exerts greater protective action than the DL-isomer². In spite of a disparaging impression of this difference given by the last paragraph of our previous publication², the results given therein indicate clearly that protection against types 1, 2 and 3 polio virus resides largely in the D-isomer. Kadin, Eggers and Tamm³ have since shown that D-HBB has a greater effect than DL-HBB against the pathogenicity of type 2 poliovirus towards rhesus monkey kidney cells and that L-HBB offers these cells no protection under similar conditions. We have continued our investigation of 1, 2-disubstituted benzimidazoles by preparing the 1-pentyl, 1-isopropyl and 1-benzyl derivatives of DL-HBB.