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Zhurinov MZ, Miftakhova AF, Keyer V, Shulgau ZT, Solodova EV, Kalykberdiyev MK, Abilmagzhanov AZ, Talgatov ET, Ait S, Shustov AV. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Extracts and Other Therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 in Central Eurasia: Available but Overlooked. Molecules 2023; 28:6142. [PMID: 37630394 PMCID: PMC10458004 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In Central Eurasia, the availability of drugs that are inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and have proven clinical efficacy is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of drugs that were available in Kazakhstan during the acute phase of the epidemic against SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral activity is reported for Favipiravir, Tilorone, and Cridanimod, which are registered drugs used for the treatment of respiratory viral infections in Kazakhstan. A licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract was also incorporated into this study because it offered an opportunity to develop plant-derived antivirals. The Favipiravir drug, which had been advertised in local markets as an anti-COVID cure, showed no activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell cultures. On the contrary, Cridanimod showed impressive high activity (median inhibitory concentration 66 μg/mL) against SARS-CoV-2, justifying further studies of Cridanimod in clinical trials. Tilorone, despite being in the same pharmacological group as Cridanimod, stimulated SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultures. The licorice extract inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultures, with a high median effective concentration of 16.86 mg/mL. Conclusions: The synthetic, low-molecular-weight compound Cridanimod suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication at notably low concentrations, and this drug is not toxic to cells at therapeutic concentrations. In contrast to its role as an inducer of interferons, Cridanimod is active in cells that have a genetic defect in interferon production, suggesting a different mechanism of action. Cridanimod is an attractive drug for inclusion in clinical trials against SARS-CoV-2 and, presumably, other coronaviruses. The extract from licorice shows low activity against SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, high doses of 2 g/kg of this plant extract show little or no acute toxicity in animal studies; for this reason, licorice products can still be considered for further development as a safe, orally administered adjunctive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murat Zh. Zhurinov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Alfira F. Miftakhova
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Viktoriya Keyer
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Zarina T. Shulgau
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Elena V. Solodova
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, International Engineering Technological University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Maxat K. Kalykberdiyev
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Arlan Z. Abilmagzhanov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Eldar T. Talgatov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Sauyk Ait
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Alexandr V. Shustov
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
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Zhang B, Cai T, He H, Huang X, Luo Y, Huang S, Luo J, Guo X. TRIM25 Suppresses Rabies Virus Fixed HEP-Flury Strain Production by Activating RIG-1-Mediated Type I Interferons. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1555. [PMID: 37628607 PMCID: PMC10454932 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies remains a great threat to public health worldwide. So far, the mechanism of rabies virus (RABV) infection is not fully understood, and there is no effective treatment for rabies. Identifying more host restriction factors of RABV will spur the development of novel therapeutic interventions against rabies. Accumulating studies suggest that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins have great effects on virus replication. TRIMs control the antiviral responses through either direct interaction with viral proteins or indirect regulation of innate immune signaling molecules in the host. The role of TRIM25 in rabies virus (RABV) infection is poorly understood. Using next-generation sequencing, we found that TRIM25 is upregulated during HEP-Flury infection. Knockdown of TRIM25 enhances HEP-Flury production, while overexpression of TRIM25 suppresses HEP-Flury replication. Knockdown of interferon α and interferon β weakens the anti-RABV response induced by TRIM25 overexpression, and potentiates RABV production. Furthermore, we found that TRIM25 regulates type-I interferon response by targeting retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) during HEP-Flury infection. Knockdown of RIG-I weakens the anti-HEP-Flury response induced by TRIM25 overexpression, indicating that TRIM25 regulates RABV production via the RIG-I-IFN axis. In addition, we observed that TRIM25 does not directly interact with HEP-Flury structural proteins, suggesting that TRIM25 regulates HEP-Flury production indirectly. Taken together, our work identifies TRIM25 as a new host factor involved in HEP-Flury infection, which may be a potential target for the development of antiviral drugs against RABV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyue Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Ting Cai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Hongling He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Xuezhe Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Yongwen Luo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Shile Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA;
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA
| | - Jun Luo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Xiaofeng Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510651, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
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Zhang B, Cai T, He H, Huang X, Chen G, Lai Y, Luo Y, Huang S, Luo J, Guo X. TRIM21 Promotes Rabies Virus Production by Degrading IRF7 through Ubiquitination. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10892. [PMID: 37446070 PMCID: PMC10341556 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies, a highly fatal zoonotic disease, is a significant global public health threat. Currently, the pathogenic mechanism of rabies has not been fully elucidated, and no effective treatment for rabies is available. Increasing evidence shows that the tripartite-motif protein (TRIM) family of proteins participates in the host's regulation of viral replication. Studies have demonstrated the upregulated expression of tripartite-motif protein 21 (TRIM21) in the brain tissue of mice infected with the rabies virus. Related studies have shown that TRIM21 knockdown inhibits RABV replication, while overexpression of TRIM21 exerted the opposite effect. Knockdown of interferon-alpha and interferon-beta modulates the inhibition of RABV replication caused by TRIM21 knockdown and promotes the replication of the virus. Furthermore, our previous study revealed that TRIM21 regulates the secretion of type I interferon during RABV infection by targeting interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7). IRF7 knockdown reduced the inhibition of RABV replication caused by the knockdown of TRIM21 and promoted viral replication. TRIM21 regulates RABV replication via the IRF7-IFN axis. Our study identified TRIM21 as a novel host factor required by RABV for replication. Thus, TRIM21 is a potential target for rabies treatment or management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyue Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Ting Cai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hongling He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xuezhe Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Guie Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yanqin Lai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yongwen Luo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Shile Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA;
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA
| | - Jun Luo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiaofeng Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China; (B.Z.); (T.C.); (H.H.); (X.H.); (G.C.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.)
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Tilorone and Cridanimod Protect Mice and Show Antiviral Activity in Rats despite Absence of the Interferon-Inducing Effect in Rats. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050617. [PMID: 35631443 PMCID: PMC9143969 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic compounds, Tilorone and Cridanimod, have the antiviral activity which initially had been ascribed to the capacity to induce interferon. Both drugs induce interferon in mice but not in humans. This study investigates whether these compounds have the antiviral activity in mice and rats since rats more closely resemble the human response. Viral-infection models were created in CD-1 mice and Wistar rats. Three strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus were tested for the performance in these models. One virus strain is the molecularly cloned attenuated vaccine. The second strain has major virulence determinants converted to the wild-type state which are present in virulent strains. The third virus has wild-type virulence determinants, and in addition, is engineered to express green fluorescent protein. Experimentally infected animals received Tilorone or Cridanimod, and their treatment was equivalent to the pharmacopoeia-recomended human treatment regimen. Tilorone and Cridanimod show the antiviral activity in mice and rats and protect the mice from death. In rats, both drugs diminish the viremia. These drugs do not induce interferon-alpha or interferon-beta in rats. The presented observations allow postulating the existence of an interferon-independent and species-independent mechanism of action.
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