Quercetin inhibits herpes simplex virus 1 replication in corneal epithelium and suppresses keratitis progression

IF 4 3区医学 Q1 Medicine

Virologica Sinica Pub Date : 2025-08-01 DOI:10.1016/j.virs.2025.07.007

Yubin Yu , Sihao Liu , Qinghua Liu , Xiuping Liu , Kaili Wu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Quercetin is a natural compound with potent antiviral effects; however, its role in the treatment of herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) remains underexplored. Here, we investigated the antiviral effects of quercetin against herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). By examining different phases of viral infection in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs), we found that 30 μmol/L quercetin inhibits HSV-1 replication primarily by disrupting viral attachment. RNA-sequencing and subsequent analyses revealed that the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was upregulated by quercetin in a dose-dependent manner. Knocking down Nrf2 partially compromised quercetin's antiviral effect. Importantly, topical application of 100 μmol/L quercetin alleviated HSK severity in mice, reduced viral titers in tears, and inhibited VP16 expression in the cornea and trigeminal ganglia. These findings demonstrate the antiviral effect of quercetin against HSV-1 and provide a foundation for mechanistic studies to elucidate its therapeutic potential in HSK.

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槲皮素抑制单纯疱疹病毒1型在角膜上皮中的复制并抑制角膜炎进展。

槲皮素是一种具有有效抗病毒作用的天然化合物；然而，其在治疗单纯疱疹性角膜炎（HSK）中的作用仍未得到充分探讨。本文研究了槲皮素对单纯疱疹病毒1型（HSV-1）的抗病毒作用。通过检测病毒感染人角膜上皮细胞（HCECs）的不同阶段，我们发现30 μmol/L槲皮素主要通过破坏病毒附着来抑制HSV-1的复制。rna测序和随后的分析显示，核因子e2相关因子2 （Nrf2）以剂量依赖的方式被槲皮素上调。敲除Nrf2部分削弱了槲皮素的抗病毒作用。重要的是，外用100 μmol/L槲皮素可减轻小鼠HSK的严重程度，降低泪液中的病毒滴度，抑制角膜和三叉神经节中VP16的表达。这些发现证实了槲皮素对HSV-1的抗病毒作用，为阐明其治疗HSK的机制研究奠定了基础。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Virologica Sinica Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Molecular Medicine

CiteScore

7.70

自引率

1.80%

发文量

3149

期刊介绍： Virologica Sinica is an international journal which aims at presenting the cutting-edge research on viruses all over the world. The journal publishes peer-reviewed original research articles, reviews, and letters to the editor, to encompass the latest developments in all branches of virology, including research on animal, plant and microbe viruses. The journal welcomes articles on virus discovery and characterization, viral epidemiology, viral pathogenesis, virus-host interaction, vaccine development, antiviral agents and therapies, and virus related bio-techniques. Virologica Sinica, the official journal of Chinese Society for Microbiology, will serve as a platform for the communication and exchange of academic information and ideas in an international context. Electronic ISSN: 1995-820X; Print ISSN: 1674-0769