Viruses are infectious agents that affect all living things, including humans. A common human virus called herpes simplex virusor HSV, can cause cold sores, genital infections, fingertip and eye infections. When HSV infects the eye, it is called: HSV keratitis. This infection can cause visual impairment, blindness, and swelling of the brain.
The standard way for doctors to treat HSV infections is with an antiviral drug called . Acyclovir. However, the drug has been found to be no longer effective in treating some HSV infections. Persistent infections are called Acyclovir resistance infection. Therefore, scientists are searching for new ways to treat HSV infections.
Scientists at Nanjing University in China tested 502 natural compounds to determine if any could be used to treat HSV keratitis. The researchers took kidney cells from African green monkeys, treated them with these natural compounds, and infected them with the virus.
After two days, they examined the cells under a microscope to see how much damage each compound prevented compared to untreated infected cells. control sample. Out of all 502 compounds tested, the one that best protects cells from viral infection was found to be present in purple passionflower. The name of the compound is Harmol, And they reported that it inhibited more than 90% of HSV in kidney cells.
The scientists further investigated Harmol’s anti-HSV properties by testing whether it was toxic to host kidney cells. If Harmol is toxic to uninfected cells, it may kill the cells instead of protecting them from the virus. They tested nine concentrations of harmol on cells, ranging from 0 micromolar to 250 micromolar harmol. They found that the compound protected against viruses and did not kill host cells at a concentration of 12.5 micromolar.
They then studied how harmol affects virus replication and the production of viral proteins and particles within host cells. They found that Harmol inhibited HSV growth and reproduction, even in acyclovir-resistant infections. Scientists also reported that Harmol treatment inhibited HSV growth when added before, during, and after HSV infection. However, the sooner it is added, the more effective it is, and it is most effective when added before infection.
The scientists then tested whether Harmol worked in mice. They wanted to determine whether Harmol would be safe and effective for treating live animals with HSV keratitis, rather than cells alone. First, the scientists investigated whether Harmol solution could be safely applied to the eyes of mice. They applied Harmol to the eyes of one group of mice and saline to the eyes of a control group. They examined the mice’s body weight and cornea over a five-day period and found that Harmol had no effect on either compared to mice given saline. They suggested that this means Harmol is a safe treatment for mice with HSV keratitis.
Next, the scientists infected three groups of mice with HSV. They treated the first group with acyclovir, the second group with Harmol, but left the third group untreated. They administered Harmol eye drops daily for five days and observed the mice on the third and fifth day. They reported that Harmol-treated mice performed better than untreated mice in all the characteristics they observed. Harmol-treated mice fed HSV had less damage to the cornea, less eyelid inflammation, less weight loss, decreased corneal thickness, and central nervous density compared to untreated mice fed HSV. was high. They found that this was also true in mice infected with acyclovir-resistant HSV.
The researchers concluded that Harmol can reduce the early symptoms of HSV keratitis in mice. Therefore, they proposed that Harmol could be an antiviral agent against HSV. Because harmol and acyclovir interact differently with acyclovir-resistant HSV, scientists believe the two compounds must inhibit HSV in different ways. However, they noted that one limitation of the study was that the mice were only tested for five days after infection. They said further researchers should investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of Harmol treatment for HSV keratitis.
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Source: sciworthy.com
