Inhibition of human T cell leukemia virus by the plant flavonoid baicalin (7-glucuronic acid, 5,6-dihydroxyflavone).

The ability of baicalin (7-glucuronic acid, 5,6-dihydroxyflavone), a flavonoid compound purified from the Chinese medicinal herb, Scutellaria baicalensis georgi, to inhibit human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was examined. Baicalin produced concentration-dependent inhibition of HTLV-I replication in productively infected T and B cells. Moreover, baicalin treatment selectively reduced the detectable levels of HTLV-I p19 gag protein in infected cells by greater than 70% at concentrations that produced insignificant effects on total cellular protein and DNA synthesis with no loss in cell viability. Resistance to HTLV-I infection and virus-mediated transformation was noted in uninfected peripheral blood lymphocytes pretreated with baicalin before cocultivation with lethally irradiated chronically infected cells. Baicalin inhibited reverse transcriptase activity in HTLV-I-infected cells as well as the activity of purified reverse transcriptase from Moloney murine leukemia virus and Rous-associated virus type 2. These results suggest that baicalin may be a potential therapeutic agent against HTLV-I-associated T cell diseases.