Which medication can be used to treat HSV?

Which medication can be used to treat HSV?

• A. Acyclovir
• B. Zidovudine
• C. Amoxicillin
• D. Oseltamivir

Answer: (A)

Treat HSV with an antiviral that specifically disrupts viral DNA synthesis. Acyclovir is a guanine analog that is activated inside infected cells by the viral enzyme thymidine kinase to its monophosphate form, then by cellular enzymes to the active triphosphate. This active form preferentially inhibits HSV DNA polymerase and causes chain termination, curbing viral replication. Because activation happens more in infected cells, it targets HSV with relatively low toxicity to host cells. The other drugs do not treat HSV: zidovudine targets HIV reverse transcriptase, amoxicillin is an antibiotic for bacteria, and oseltamivir inhibits influenza neuraminidase. So acyclovir is the appropriate choice for HSV.

Treat HSV with an antiviral that specifically disrupts viral DNA synthesis. Acyclovir is a guanine analog that is activated inside infected cells by the viral enzyme thymidine kinase to its monophosphate form, then by cellular enzymes to the active triphosphate. This active form preferentially inhibits HSV DNA polymerase and causes chain termination, curbing viral replication. Because activation happens more in infected cells, it targets HSV with relatively low toxicity to host cells. The other drugs do not treat HSV: zidovudine targets HIV reverse transcriptase, amoxicillin is an antibiotic for bacteria, and oseltamivir inhibits influenza neuraminidase. So acyclovir is the appropriate choice for HSV.