EIPA, A macropinocytosis blocking agent, inhibits Siniperca chuatsi rhabdovirus infection in vitro and in vivo.

Siniperca chuatsi rhabdovirus (SCRV) is a highly pathogenic virus that infects Siniperca chuatsi and causes cumulative mortality rates exceeding 90 % in fish fry. Until now, there have been no specific treatments for this virus. In this study, four different chemical inhibitors were evaluated for their ability to inhibit SCRV. Only ethyl-isopropyl amiloride (EIPA), a macropinocytosis inhibitor, effectively inhibited SCRV replication in CPB cells without cytotoxicity. Further studies indicated that EIPA inhibited an early post-entry step of viral infection. To evaluate the effect in vivo, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were infected with SCRV and fed with EIPA. The results showed that EIPA effectively inhibited SCRV infection in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its potential applicability as a therapeutic agent for SCRV treatment.