Gefitinib inhibits infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus infection in vivo and vitro by blocking virus endocytosis

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus disease (ISKNVD) caused significant economic losses to the fishery industry. So it is urgent to develop an effective measure for prevention ISKNVD. In this study, we investigated the effects of gefitinib against ISKNV in vitro and vivo. The gefitinib inhibited viral protein synthesis and decreased viral titers with the dose-dependent manner in Chinese perch brain cells (CPB) cells. Gefitinib was observed to inhibit ISKNV infection by blocking ISKNV entry into CPB cells. Interestingly, gefitinib inhibited EGFR/PI3K phosphorylation and suppressed microfilament gathering induced by ISKNV. At the same time, gefitinib inhibited ISKNV infection and decreased pathogenicity of ISKNV in vivo. These results suggested that gefitinib prevented ISKNV infection by blocking virus-mediated endocytosis. This research provided potential of gefitinib for preventing ISKNVD.