School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, China.
Arch Virol. 2011 May;156(5):793-801. doi: 10.1007/s00705-011-0917-z. Epub 2011 Feb 1.
Parainfluenza viruses are significant respiratory-tract pathogens that are notorious for infecting children. However, there are no clinical drugs to control the infection caused by these viruses. Sendai virus (SeV) belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae and causes fatal pneumonia in mice, its natural host. Baicalein is a flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, which is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for hundreds of years and has demonstrated a variety of biological activities. Our findings reveal that oral administration of baicalein to mice infected with Sendai virus results in a significant reduction in virus titers in the lungs and protection from death. The in vivo inhibitory effects of baicalein on Sendai virus are determined by baicalin in the serum. The mean IC(50) of baicalin was 0.71 μg/ml in an HA inhibition assay and 3.22 μg/ml in an NA inhibition assay. The mean IC(50) of baicalin in a CPE assay was measured to be 0.70 μg/ml, and significant inhibition was observed in a plaque assay at a concentration of 1.6 μg/ml baicalin in overlay medium, which suggests that baicalein is a potential anti-parainfluenzaviral agent in vivo.
副流感病毒是重要的呼吸道病原体，以感染儿童而臭名昭著。然而，目前没有临床药物可以控制这些病毒引起的感染。仙台病毒（SeV）属于副粘病毒科，会导致其自然宿主小鼠致命性肺炎。黄芩素是一种来源于黄芩根的黄酮类化合物，是一种在中国使用了数百年的传统中药，具有多种生物活性。我们的研究结果表明，给感染仙台病毒的小鼠口服黄芩素，可显著降低肺部的病毒滴度并防止死亡。黄芩素在体内对仙台病毒的抑制作用取决于血清中的黄芩苷。在血凝抑制试验中，黄芩苷的平均 IC50 为 0.71μg/ml，在神经氨酸酶抑制试验中为 3.22μg/ml。在细胞病变抑制试验中，黄芩苷的平均 IC50 为 0.70μg/ml，在铺板试验中，在覆盖培养基中加入 1.6μg/ml 黄芩苷时可观察到明显的抑制作用，这表明黄芩素在体内可能是一种潜在的抗副流感病毒药物。
