• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.98-102
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• 1993

The therapeutic effectiveness of adenine arabinoside(tora-A) and its conjugate of prednisone(BR-8702-AP) was compared in Herpes simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) infected BALB/C mice. The BALB/C mouse was infected with HSV-1(700 PFU/mouse) intranasally. Among mice infected intranasally with virus, a mortality rate of 100% was observed. On the oral administration of non-toxic doses of ara-A or BR-8702-AP(125 mg /kg/day) for 5 consecutive days 2 hours after virus infection, the tora-A was highly effective in reducing mortality to 0% (P<0.001) and BR-8702-AP was also effective in reducing mortality to 15% (P<0.01). In this model infection, the virus was first replicated in the lung and transmitted to the brain. Both arts-A and BR-8702-AP did not inhibit the viral replication in the lung, but they inhibited the viral transmission to the brain. However, the BR-8702-AP was less effective than the aria-A to prevent transmission of virus to brain. Therefore, the reduced mortality due to tora-A or BR-8702-AP therapy was associated with inhibition of viral transmission to brain.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 1999

In order to find less toxic antiherpetic agents, the effect of natural quercetin on the plaque formation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) was studied in vitro in cell culture monolayers employing the technique of viral plaque reduction assay. Quercetin caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the plaque formation of herpesviruses. It also exhibited more potent antiherpetic activity on HSV-1 with effective concentration $(EC_{50})$ of $18.7\;{\mu}g/ml$ than on HSV-2 with $EC_{50}$ of $24.5\;{\mu}g/ml$. The combined antiherpetic effects of quercetin with nucleoside antiherpetic agents, acyclovir and vidarabine, were examined on the multiplication of these two strains of herpesviruses in Vero cells by the combination assay. The results of combination assay were evaluated by the combination index (CI) that was calculated by the multiple drug effect analysis. The combinations of quercetin with acyclovir on HSV-1 and HSV-2 showed more potent synergism with CI values of $0.19{\sim}0.89$ for 50%, 70%, 90% effective levels than those with vidarabine with CI values of $0.43{\sim}1.46$.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 1997

In order to find antiviral compounds against Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) and II (HSV2) from natural products, a convenient virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assay was introduced. More than 300 fractions were prepared by solvent fractionation from sixty collected plants or purchased herbal medicines, and their anti-herpetic activities were evaluated. Among them, several medicinal plants showed potent anti-herpetic activity. Selective indexes (SI) of the EtOAc extract of Caraganae Radix (Caragana sinica) against HSV-1 and HSV-2 were more than 8.06 and 24.79, SI of the MeOH extract of Acer okamotoanum leaves were 3.92 and 3.51, SI of the $CH_{2}Cl_{2}$ extract of Veratri Rhizoma et Radix (Veratrum patulum) were 5.49 and 1.31 and SI of the MeOH extract of aerial part of Osmundae Rhizoma (Osmunda japonica) were more than 3.45 and 1.25, respectively.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2014

Refractoriness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to chemotherapeutics represents a major clinical barrier. Suicide gene therapy for cancer has been attractive but with limited clinical efficacy. In this study, we investigated the potential application of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-TK/GCV) based system to inhibit chemoresistant AML cells. We first generated Ara-C resistant K562 cells and doxorubicin-resistant THP-1 cells. We found that the HSV-TK/GCV anticancer system suppressed drug resistant leukemic cells in culture. Chemoresistant AML cell lines displayed similar sensitivity to HSV-TK/GCV. Moreover, HSV-TK/GCV killing of leukemic cells was augmented to a mild but significant extent by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with concomitant upregulation of Connexin 43, a major component of gap junctions. Interestingly, HSV-TK/GCV killing was enhanced by expression of vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G), a fusogenic membrane protein, which also increased leukemic cell fusion. Co-culture resistant cells expressing HSV-TK and cells stably transduced with VSV-G showed that expression of VSV-G could promote the bystander killing effect of HSV-TK/GCV. Furthermore, combination of HSV-TK/GCV with VSV-G plus ATRA produced more pronounced antileukemia effect. These results suggest that the HSV-TK/GCV system in combination with fusogenic membrane proteins and/or ATRA could provide a strategy to mitigate the chemoresistance of AML.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.210-218
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• 2013

Numerous studies have suggested that Korean red ginseng (KRG) extract has various immune modulatory activities both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we used a mouse model to examine the effects of orally administered KRG extract on immunity against herpes simplex virus (HSV). Balb/c mice were administered with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg oral doses of KRG extract for 10 d and then vaginally infected with HSV. We found that KRG extract rendered recipients more resistant against HSV vaginal infection and further systemic infection, including decreased clinical severity, increased survival rate, and accelerated viral clearance. Such results appeared to be mediated by increased vaginal IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion. Moreover, increased mRNA expression of IFN-${\gamma}$, granzyme B, and Fas-ligand was identified in the iliac lymph node and vaginal tracts of KRG extract treated groups (200 and 400 mg/kg). These results suggest that the activities of local natural killer cells were promoted by KRG extract consumption and that KRG may be an attractive immune stimulator for helping hosts overcome HSV infection.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2000

The viruses of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1), Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) and Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) which belong to the alpha herpes subfamily are important human pathogens. When eruptions were not fully developed from these viral infections, clinical diagnosis was not always easy and required virological confirmation test. The above viruses were reactivated in individuals who were compromised in immune competence for one reason or another. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables rapid and sensitive detection of HSV and VZV DNAs. Its sensitivity was largely influenced by choice of primers. Authors conducted a study to detect of those three viruses in human specimens including vesicle fluid and joint fluid and serum using PCR methods. Primers used for this study were the general primer pair GPHV-RU which was known to amplify within the genes enjoying the highest degree of homology between UL15 of HSV and UL42 of VZV. PCR with primers hybridized pair GPHV-RU amplifies a 396 bp with THP-1 and HSV-2 standard strain DNA and 405 bp with VZV standard strain DNA. Restriction enzyme cleavage with HpaII and DdeI were used to detect and distinguish DNAs of THP-1 and HSV-2 and VZV. The purpose of this study was a rapid and easy detection of VZV and THP-1 or HSV-2 from various clinical specimens (vesicle fluid, serum and joint fluid) by PCR method. Used methods were: HSV PCR with primer 1, 2 and HpaII RE digestion; VZV nested PCR; HSV PCR with primer A, Band BssHII RE digestion. 1) In 33 cases (33/42, 78.6%) VZV was detected single or mixed infection from 42 clinical specimens which included vesicle fluid (5), serum form respiratory infected children (10), serum from immune suppressed adult cancer patients (7) and joint fluid from arthritis patients (20). 2) In 20 cases (20/42, 47.6%) HSV was detected singly or mixed infection and 19 of those cases were HSV-2 and 1 case was THP-1. 3) In 19 cases (19/42, 45.2%) VZV was singly detected which included serum from respiratory infected children (6 cases), joint fluid from arthritis patients (9 cases), vesicle fluid (2 cases) and serum form immunosuppressed cancer patients (2 cases). 4) HSV was singly detected in 6 cases (6/42, 14.3%) which included joint fluid from arthritis patients (5 cases) and serum form respiratory infected children (1 cases). 5) 14 cases of VZV and HSV mixed infection (14/42, 33.3%) were detected. They included vesicle fluid (3 cases), serum form immunosuppressed cancer patients (4 cases), serum from respiratory infected children (2 cases) and joint fluid from arthritis patients (5 cases). 6) HSV-1 and HSV-2 detection and typing by HSV PCR with primer A, Band BssHII RE digestion method was more sensitive and the results were easier to detect than on other method.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2015

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common causative agent of genital ulceration and can lead to subsequent neurological disease in some cases. Here, using a genital infection model, we tested the efficacy of vinegar-processed flos of Daphne genkwa (vp-genkwa) to modulate vaginal inflammation caused by HSV-1 infection. Our data revealed that treatment with optimal doses of vp-genkwa after, but not before, HSV-1 infection provided enhanced resistance against HSV-1 infection, as corroborated by reduced mortality and clinical signs. Consistent with these results, treatment with vp-genkwa after HSV-1 infection reduced viral replication in the vaginal tract. Furthermore, somewhat intriguingly, treatment of vp-genkwa after HSV-1 infection increased the frequency and absolute number of $CD3^-NK1.1^+NKp46^+$ natural killer (NK) cells producing interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$ and granyzme B, which indicates that vp-genkwa treatment induces the activation of NK cells. Supportively, secreted IFN-${\gamma}$ was detected at an increased level in vaginal lavages of mice treated with vp-genkwa after HSV-1 infection. These results indicate that enhanced resistance to HSV-1 infection by treatment with vp-genkwa is associated with NK cell activation. Therefore, our data provide a valuable insight into the use of vp-genkwa to control clinical severity in HSV infection through NK cell activation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2001

This study was performed to investigate antigenic expression patterns in the course of HSV-1 infection. In SDS-PAGE analysis, HSV-1 antigens were detected, and among them, antigens in the size of 39, 47, 63, 86, 101, 105, 135, 159, and 181 kDa appear to be expressed in the most dominant forms. BALB/c mice were infected with HSV-1 for 29 days and antigenic expression from HSV-1 was investigated by Western blot analysis using anti-HSV-1 sera collected every two days from BALB/c mice infected with HSV-1. Most of HSV-1 antigens appeared sporadically as the infection progressed. However, antigens in the sizes of 63kDa and 135kDa were expressed from day 1 and 3, respectively, and existed continuously during the course of infection for 29 days, suggesting that they are the most dominant antigens inducing immune response durign HSV-1 infection, and they could be the target antigens for the development of vaccines. The isotype levels of IgA, IgGl, and IgM increased till the 17 th day infection and then started to decrease. During this course. IgGl was the most dominant isotype. In an indirect immunofluorescent assay, antibodies exhibited surface binding to the Vero cell infected with HSV-1, demonstrating that HSV-1 antigens are expressed on the surface of Vero cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.849-859
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• 2018

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection has been a public health concern worldwide. It is the leading cause of genital herpes and a contributing factor to cervical cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. No vaccine is available yet for the treatment of HSV-2 infection, and routinely used synthetic nucleoside analogs have led to the emergence of drug resistance. The small molecule $Retro-2^{cycl}$ has been reported to be active against several pathogens by acting on intracellular vesicle transport, which also participates in the HSV-2 lifecycle. Here, we showed that Retro-2.1, which is an optimized, more potent derivative of $Retro-2^{cycl}$, could inhibit HSV-2 infection, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of $5.58{\mu}M$ and $6.35{\mu}M$ in cytopathic effect inhibition and plaque reduction assays, respectively. The cytotoxicity of Retro-2.1 was relatively low, with a 50% cytotoxicity concentration of $116.5{\mu}M$. We also preliminarily identified that Retro-2.1 exerted the antiviral effect against HSV-2 by a dual mechanism of action on virus entry and late stages of infection. Therefore, our study for the first time demonstrated Retro-2.1 as an effective antiviral agent against HSV-2 in vitro with targets distinct from those of nucleoside analogs.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2003

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) has been widely used for suicidal gene therapy in combination with nucleoside analogs such as ganciclovir (GCV). The use of HSV-TK is limited due to the side effect of GCV at high concentrations. Previous studies showed that stable transfectants of mutant HSV-TK with enhanced affinity to GCV were killed at lower GCV concentrations. In this study, we tested whether mutant HSV-TK can provide enhanced suicidal effect when transiently transfected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based plasmid. EBV-based plasmid which contains OriP and EBNA-1 sequence is well known for a stable episomal maintenance in human cells. Optimal transfection condition was assessed for SNU-638 gastric cancer cell line using polyetylnimine (PEI). Maximum transfection efficiency was achieved when DNA:PEI was 1:3 (w/v). Cytotoxicities of mutant and wild type HSV-TK were compared before and after partially selecting transfected cells. The cells were sensitive to $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ hygromycin. Following GCV treatment, more cells were killed after hygromycin selection than before selection. The mutant HSV-TK showed enhanced cytotoxicity compared with the wild type HSV-TK. Our results suggest that the EBV-based plasmid encoding mutant HSV-TK may be useful to treat the diseases caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.