Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Development of a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent with Activity Against Herpesvirus Replication and Gene expression

Wen-Jun Shi, Han-Xiao Sun , Xue-Mei Mo, Shi-Yu Li, Xiu-Ying Li, Guang Zhang, Hong-Ai Liu

Institute of Genomic Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China;

For correspondence:- Han-Xiao Sun Email: sunhanxiao5@gmail.com

Received: 1 December 2012 Accepted: 19 June 2013 Published: 23 August 2013

Citation: Shi W, Sun H, Mo X, Li S, Li X, Zhang G, et al. Development of a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent with Activity Against Herpesvirus Replication and Gene expression. Trop J Pharm Res 2013; 12(4):541-547 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v12i4.15

© 2013 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of peptide H9 (H9) in vitro in order to gain insight into its underlying molecular mechanisms.

Method: Antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was determined using thiazolyl blue (MTT) assay. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to assay H9 antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The inhibitory effect of H9 on the replication of these viral genes including early genes was assayed by real time-Ppolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot.

Results: H9 possessed significant inhibitory effect on the four different herpesviruses with 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 1.21 ng/mL (HSV-1). AD169 infection was strongly inhibited with an EC₅₀ value of 0.46 ng/ml. The anti-herpesviral activity of H9 was dose-dependent. The peptide acted primarily during the early stage of infection by detection of the early genes.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate that H9 can inhibit the infection of HSV-1, EBV and HCMV. Furthermore, H9 has a broad-spectrum anti-herpesviral effect in vitro based on targeted killing of infected cells expressing genes.

Keywords: Antagonist, Trapping receptor/ligand, Broad-spectrum, Anti-herpesvirus, H9 peptide, Gene expression