Luo Z, Kuang XP, Zhou QQ, Yan CY, Li W, Gong HB, Kurihara H, Li WX, Li YF, He RR. Inhibitory effects of baicalein against herpes simplex virus type 1.
Acta Pharm Sin B 2020;
10:2323-2338. [PMID:
33354504 PMCID:
PMC7745058 DOI:
10.1016/j.apsb.2020.06.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous and widespread human pathogen, which gives rise to a range of diseases, including cold sores, corneal blindness, and encephalitis. Currently, the use of nucleoside analogs, such as acyclovir and penciclovir, in treating HSV-1 infection often presents limitation due to their side effects and low efficacy for drug-resistance strains. Therefore, new anti-herpetic drugs and strategies should be urgently developed. Here, we reported that baicalein, a naturally derived compound widely used in Asian countries, strongly inhibited HSV-1 replication in several models. Baicalein was effective against the replication of both HSV-1/F and HSV-1/Blue (an acyclovir-resistant strain) in vitro. In the ocular inoculation mice model, baicalein markedly reduced in vivo HSV-1/F replication, receded inflammatory storm and attenuated histological changes in the cornea. Consistently, baicalein was found to reduce the mortality of mice, viral loads both in nose and trigeminal ganglia in HSV-1 intranasal infection model. Moreover, an ex vivo HSV-1-EGFP infection model established in isolated murine epidermal sheets confirmed that baicalein suppressed HSV-1 replication. Further investigations unraveled that dual mechanisms, inactivating viral particles and inhibiting IκB kinase beta (IKK-β) phosphorylation, were involved in the anti-HSV-1 effect of baicalein. Collectively, our findings identified baicalein as a promising therapy candidate against the infection of HSV-1, especially acyclovir-resistant strain.
Baicalein is highly effective against HSV-1infection ex vivo and in vivo.
Inactivation of viral particles and suppression of NF-κB activation were involved in the anti-viral effect of baicalein.
Hence, our work offers experimental basis for baicalein as a potential drug in treating HSV-1 associated diseases.
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