Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Jul 2023)

Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) replication and antigen expression by Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. oil emulsion

  • Bo Qin,
  • Bo Qin,
  • Shu Shen,
  • Shu Shen,
  • Juan Lai,
  • Wei Yang,
  • Lili Feng,
  • Lili Feng,
  • Jiefeng Ding,
  • Jiefeng Ding

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1193775
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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IntroductionThe seeds of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. (BJ) have been traditionally used to treat various types of cancers for many years in China. In this study, we systematically investigated a BJ oil emulsion (BJOE) produced from BJ seeds with the purpose of evaluating its antiviral effect against hepatitis B virus (HBV).MethodsHepG2.215 (a wild-type HBV cell line), HepG2, and Huh7, transfected with wildtype (WT) or lamivudine-resistance mutant (LMV-MT) HBV replicon plasmids, were treated with different doses of BJOE and then used for pharmacodynamic evaluation. Cell viability was determined using CCK8 assay. The levels of HBsAg/HBeAg in cell cultured supernatant, HBcAg in cell lysis solution, and HBV DNA in both were evaluated.ResultsBJOE at ≤5 mg/ml was nontoxic to carcinoma cell lines, but could significantly inhibit WT/LMV-MT HBV replication and HBs/e/c antigen expression in a dose-dependent manner by upregulating interleukin-6 (IL-6), demonstrating that it possesses moderate anti-HBV activity. As one of the major components of BJOE, bruceine B was found to play a dominant role in IL-6 induction and HBV inhibition.DiscussionOur results demonstrated that BJOE suppressed HBV replication by stimulating IL-6, indicating that it has promising clinical therapeutic potential for both WT and LMV-MT HBV.

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