Baicalein Resists VZV Infection In Vitro

Objective:This experiment is designed to explore if the baicalein is an effective antiviral for varicella zoster virus in vitro,also,the experimental results were contrasted with a positive control group.Methods:First of all,the virulence of VZV was confirmed,TCID50 was calculated by Read-Muench.In this test,MRC-5 cells is used as the research object in vitro.Next,maximal atoxic concentration?TC₀?and minimum effective concentration?MEC?were confirmed by MTT.Meanwhile,the observation of cells was conducted to ensure the result.The TC₀ was chosen for the following experiments.The experiment was divided into four stages,negative control and positive control were established at every stage,Also,The experimental results were compared with blank control group.first,cell pathological changes method?CPE?was used to get an initial observation.There were two methods of administration for drugs,watching cells for five days.The effect of drugs can be preliminarily ascertained,compared it with a positive control group and blank control group as well.The concentration of cell factors?IFN-?,FGF?was measured for further research.The copies of viral genomes were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction?RT-PCR?,and compared the experimental results with a positive control group.VZV glycoprotein E gray value of every group was measured by Western Blot.Finally,comprehensive analysis was taken for the whole experiments.Results:The TC₀ of baicalein is 100?g/ml,and the MEC of baicalein is 25?g/ml.The therapeutic index of baicalein is the same as the therapeutic index of ACV.The results of CPE showed that CPE of baicalein group was about twenty percent,similarly to ACV group.The CPE of VZV group was about eighty percent;Compared the cell factors?IFN-?,FGF?of the group of baicalein with ACV,s,there was no significant difference;The copies of VZV genomes of cells in the group of VZV increased rapidly after 48 hours;The gray value of cells in the group of baicalein and the group of ACV was lower than the group of VZV.Conclusion:The experimental results showed baicalein plays a role in restraining VZV in vitro.The concentration of the cell factors?IFN-?,FGF?of the group of baicalein is similar to the cells of the group of ACV.Comparing the group with baicalein,the experiment showed that ACV have a strong and stable effect on the control of VZV in vitro.However,more researchs are needed to establish for it.