Frontiers in Veterinary Science (May 2023)

Berbamine, a bioactive alkaloid, suppresses equine herpesvirus type 1 in vitro and in vivo

  • Zeyu Li,
  • Yuanxiu He,
  • Lijuan Ge,
  • Ran Quan,
  • Junzhen Chen,
  • Yue Hu,
  • Ruixue Sa,
  • Jianhua Liu,
  • Duoliang Ran,
  • Qiang Fu,
  • Huijun Shi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1163780
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) poses a global threat to equines. The anticancer agent berbamine (BBM), a bioactive alkaloid, has been shown to inhibit viral infection. However, whether BBM can inhibit EHV-1 infection remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of BBM treatment on EHV-1 infection. Quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunoblotting, the Reed-Muench method, and pathological examination were employed to study the ability of BBM to inhibit EHV-1 infection, viral DNA replication, viral protein production, virion secretion, and cytopathogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro studies revealed that 10 μM BBM effectively suppressed EHV-1 viral entry into cells, viral DNA replication, and virion secretion, while the in vivo studies verified the ability of BBM to suppress EHV-1-induced damage of brain and lung tissues and animal mortality. These findings strongly suggest that BBM could be a serious contender in the therapeutic control of EHV-1 infection of equines.

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