TABLE 3.

Partial protection against WNV disease in mice treated with conjugated PPMOs^a

Inoculum	Antiviral treatment			Disease outcome
	Treatment	Dose (μg)	Treatment days	Morbidity (no. of sick mice/total no. in group)	Mortality (no. of mice that died/total no. in group)	Avg day of disease onset (SD)b	Avg survival time (SD)c
Diluent	Vehicle	NA	0 to 8	0/4	0/4	NA	NA
WNV	5′-end PPMO	200	0 to 8	5/8*	3/8	9.8 (1.48)***	17.3 (5.13)***
	5′-end PPMO	100	0 to 8	8/8	5/8	9.1 (1.55)**	11.4 (3.71)
	3′ CSI PPMO	200	0 to 8	8/8	4/8	10.8 (2.92)**	13.0 (3.46)*
	3′ CSI PPMO	100	0 to 8	8/8	3/8	11.3 (2.49)***	11.3 (0.58)
	Scramble PPMO	200	0 to 8	8/8	6/8	7.6 (0.92)	9.7 (0.46)
	Scramble PPMO	100	0 to 8	8/8	6/8	7.6 (0.52)	11.0 (2.00)
	Vehicle	NA	0 to 8	8/8	7/8	8.1 (1.55)	10.43 (2.3)
Diluent	Vehicle	NA	5 to 15	0/4	0/4	NA	NA
WNV	5′-end PPMO	200	5 to 15	8/8	4/8	7.6 (0.74)	11.0 (4.08)
	Scramble PPMO	200	5 to 15	8/8	6/8	7.4 (0.52)	9.8 (2.32)
	Vehicle	NA	5 to 15	8/8	7/8	7.5 (0.53)	9.3 (1.50)

^aSix-week-old C3H female mice were inoculated s.c. in the left rear footpad with 10³ PFU of WNV or diluent alone on day 0. The mice were then inoculated i.p. daily on days 0 to 8 or days 5 to 15 with the indicated treatments. Mice were monitored for weight loss and clinical signs. Surviving mice were bled on days 35 to 37 postinoculation and tested for WNV-specific antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; all WNV-inoculated mice were seropositive, and mock-inoculated mice were seronegative. NA, not applicable. Levels of statistical significance in comparisons of results for the indicated group to those for the group receiving the scramble conjugate at the same dose are noted as follows: *, P ≤ 0.05; **, P ≤ 0.01; ***, P ≤ 0.005.

^bAverage day of disease onset postinoculation for mice that became sick only.

^cAverage survival time in days for mice that died.