Aeginetia indica Decoction Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Life Cycle

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 208
• Main Authors: Lin, Cheng-Wei, Lo, Chieh-Wen, Tsai, Chia-Ni, Pan, Ting-Chun, Chen, Pin-Yin, Yu, Ming-Jiun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 09.01.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Aeginetia indica; alternative medicine; Antiviral agents; bioactive phytochemical; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - drug effects; Chronic infection; Epidemics; Hepacivirus - drug effects; Hepacivirus - metabolism; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; hepatitis C virus (HCV); Hepatocytes; herbal decoction; Humans; Infections; Interferon; Internal ribosome entry site; Liver; non-structural protein 5A (NS5A); nutraceutical; Orobanchaceae - chemistry; Orobanchaceae - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Pretreatment; Proteins; Replication; RNA, Viral - metabolism; Serine; serine 235; Translation; Viral Nonstructural Proteins - metabolism; Virus Replication - drug effects; bioactive phytochemical; hepatitis C virus (HCV); serine 235; herbal decoction; Aeginetia indica; nutraceutical; non-structural protein 5A (NS5A); alternative medicine; phosphorylation
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010208

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still a global epidemic despite the introduction of several highly effective direct-acting antivirals that are tagged with sky-high prices. The present study aimed to identify an herbal decoction that ameliorates HCV infection. Among six herbal decoctions tested, the decoction had the most profound effect on the HCV reporter activity in infected Huh7.5.1 liver cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The decoction exerted multiple inhibitory effects on the HCV life cycle. Pretreatment of the cells with the decoction prior to HCV infection reduced the HCV RNA and non-structural protein 3 (NS3) protein levels in the infected cells. The decoction reduced HCV internal ribosome entry site-mediated protein translation activity. It also reduced the HCV RNA level in the infected cells in association with reduced NS5A phosphorylation at serine 235, a predominant phosphorylation event indispensable to HCV replication. Thus, the decoction inhibits HCV infection, translation, and replication. Mechanistically, the decoction probably reduced HCV replication via reducing NS5A phosphorylation at serine 235.