Study of the biological activity of silver preparations on an organismal model of Newcastle disease infection

Due to the rapidly growing antibiotic resistance of microorganisms and the increasing prevalence of viral diseases, special attention is paid to the creation of new effective drugs. Nanosilver preparations have long been studied and used as antimicrobial and antiviral agents. Antiviral agents with virocidal activity act directly on viral particles destroying viral membranes upon contact or by binding to viral capsid proteins. The biological activity of silver preparations in the form of nanoparticles (Argovit) and organic molecules (Argosil) was studied on an organismal model of Newcastle disease infection in laboratory animals. ICR mice (weight 15–23 g, water consumption 6–7 ml/animal, age 2 months) were used in the experiment. To model the development of infection caused by the Newcastle disease pathogen, mice were infected with Newcastle disease virus with the La Sota strain vaccine. The vaccine was administered once intranasally individually at a dose of 20 μl/animal (20 doses). To determine the biological activity of the drugs, histological studies were used using standard methods, as well as analysis of changes in viral load using real-time RT-PCR in ICR mice infected with Newcastle virus. The absence of genomic RNA of the Newcastle disease virus was found in the lungs of the animals treated with Argosil and Argovit-Maxi. There were less pronounced inflammatory changes in the lung tissues in mice of the experimental groups, compared to animals in the control group. The use of virocidal agents based on nano- and organic silver in the period preceding the formation of postvaccinal immunity in terms of pharmacoprophylaxis of Newcastle disease seems promising.