Antiviral Activity of a Novel Compound CW-33 against Japanese Encephalitis Virus through Inhibiting Intracellular Calcium Overload

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, has five genotypes (I, II, III, IV, and V). JEV genotype I circulates widely in some Asian countries. However, current JEV vaccines based on genotype III strains show low neutralizing capacities against genotype I variants. In addition, JE has no specific treatment, except a few supportive treatments. Compound CW-33, an intermediate synthesized derivative of furoquinolines, was investigated for its antiviral activities against JEV in this study. CW-33 exhibited the less cytotoxicity to Syrian baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) and human medulloblastoma (TE761) cells. CW-33 dose-dependently reduced the cytopathic effect and apoptosis of JEV-infected cells. Supernatant virus yield assay pinpointed CW-33 as having potential anti-JEV activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 12.7 to 38.5 μM. Time-of-addition assay with CW-33 indicated that simultaneous and post-treatment had no plaque reduction activity, but continuous and simultaneous treatments proved to have highly effective antiviral activity, with IC₅₀ values of 32.7 and 48.5 μM, respectively. CW-33 significantly moderated JEV-triggered Ca²⁺ overload, which correlated with the recovery of mitochondria membrane potential as well as the activation of Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT1 signals in treated infected cells. Phosphopeptide profiling by LC-MS/MS revealed that CW-33 upregulated proteins from the enzyme modulator category, such as protein phosphatase inhibitor 2 (I-2), Rho GTPase-activating protein 35, ARF GTPase-activating protein GIT2, and putative 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 2. These enzyme modulators identified were associated with the activation of Akt/mTOR and Jak/STAT1 signals. Meanwhile, I-2 treatment substantially inhibited the apoptosis of JEV-infected cells. The results demonstrated that CW-33 exhibited a significant potential in the development of anti-JEV agents.     

应用7.5 L生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎灭活疫苗

目的应用7.5 L生物反应器,培养Vero细胞和乙型脑炎病毒,规模化生产乙型脑炎灭活疫苗。方法应用7.5 L生物反应器,分别以5、10、15、20、25 g/L的微载体密度加装,采用灌流方式培养Vero细胞,分别将P3株乙型脑炎病毒按0.005 00、0.002 50、0.001 60、0.001 25、0.001 00 MOI接种至生物反应器内,收获乙脑病毒液。经浓缩、灭活、纯化等工艺制备疫苗半成品,经疫苗灭活及纯化试验进行工艺验证,合格后分装为疫苗成品,按照《中国药典》三部(2010版)中《冻干乙型脑炎灭活疫苗(Vero细胞)》要求,进行疫苗全项检定。结果当微载体密度为20、25 g/L时,细胞密度可达1.2×107个/ml,病毒滴度平均达8.33～8.52 lgLD50/ml;当病毒接种量为0.001 25 MOI时,病毒最高滴度可达9.02 lgLD50/ml。经超滤浓缩后的病毒原液,使用1∶4 000β-丙内酯灭活72 h,可达到灭活效果;纯化后可去除90%以上杂蛋白。应用7.5 L生物反应器生产的6批乙型脑炎灭活疫苗,经检定各项指标均符合国家要求。结论应用7.5 L生物反应器培养Vero细胞和P3株乙型脑炎病毒,经连续灌流收获,可规模化生产Vero细胞乙型脑炎灭活疫苗。     

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Centella asiatica (L) Urb.

In the present study, the phenolic (Folin-Dennis) and flavonoid (colorimetric assay) constituents, antioxidant [2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) assay] and cytotoxic activities of an aqueous extract (AE) of Centella asiatica leaves were investigated. The aqueous extract (50 g/L) was obtained by infusion followed by cold maceration for 24 h. The levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were 2.86 g/100 g and 0.361 g/100 g, respectively. The AE showed elevated DPPH scavenging activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 31.25 μg/mL. The AE had a promising activity against mouse melanoma (B₁₆F₁), human breast cancer (MDA MB-231) and rat glioma (C₆) cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 698.0, 648.0 and 1000.0 μg/mL, respectively. A positive correlation was established between the level of flavonoids, antioxidant and antitumor activities.     

Chebulagic Acid,a Hydrolyzable Tannin,Exhibited Antiviral Activity in Vitro and in Vivo against Human Enterovirus 71

Human enterovirus 71 is one of the major causative agents of hand, foot and mouth disease in children under six years of age. Presently, no vaccines or antiviral drugs have been clinically available to employ against EV71. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment with chebulagic acid reduced the viral cytopathic effect on rhabdomyosarcoma cells with an IC₅₀ of 12.5 μg/mL. The utilization of the chebulagic acid treatment on mice challenged with a lethal dose of enterovirus 71 was able to efficiently reduce mortality and relieve clinical symptoms through the inhibition of viral replication. Chebulagic acid may represent a potential therapeutic agent to control infections to enterovirus 71.     

Vero细胞疫苗生产过程中宿主细胞蛋白含量分析

目的了解Vero细胞疫苗中间产品中宿主细胞蛋白(Host cell protein,HCP)的含量变化。方法模拟Vero细胞疫苗生产工艺流程,制备Vero细胞HCP,免疫家兔制备Vero细胞HCP免疫血清,经Protein ASepharose CL-4B亲和层析,制备纯化的抗Vero细胞HCPIgG,通过SDS-PAGE和Western blot分析Vero细胞乙型脑炎疫苗及Vero细胞SARS疫苗各中间产品的蛋白、HCP及病毒抗原成分的含量变化。结果Vero细胞乙型脑炎疫苗和Vero细胞SARS疫苗中间产品中均存在一定量HCP,不同的纯化工艺均可以去除大部分HCP,随着生产工艺的进行,疫苗中间产品中HCP的含量逐渐降低,病毒成分的纯度逐渐增高,但纯化后产品中仍存在少量HCP。结论Vero细胞乙型脑炎疫苗和Vero细胞SARS疫苗均存在一定量HCP。     

New 14-Membered Cyclopeptide Alkaloids from Zizyphus oxyphylla Edgew

Two new 14-membered cyclopeptide alkaloids, Oxyphylline B (4) and Oxyphylline C (5), along with three known 13-membered cyclopeptide alkaloids, were isolated from stem and roots of Zizyphus oxyphylla Edgew. The compounds were tested for antibacterial activity. Oxyphylline B (4) showed comparatively better antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (MIC, 5 μg/mL) than other compounds. This compound also exhibited weak antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC, 25 μg/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC, 50 μg/mL) and Salmonella typhi (MIC, 50 μg/mL).     

Identification of Novel Small Molecules as Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus by Structure-Based Virtual Screening

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/NS4A serine protease is essential for viral replication, which is regarded as a promising drug target for developing direct-acting anti-HCV agents. In this study, sixteen novel compounds with cell-based HCV replicon activity ranging from 3.0 to 28.2 μM (IC₅₀) were successfully identified by means of structure-based virtual screening. Compound 5 and compound 11, with an IC₅₀ of 3.0 μM and 5.1 μM, respectively, are the two most potent molecules with low cytotoxicity.     

篮式生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎灭活疫苗

目的建立篮式生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎灭活疫苗的工艺。方法利用7.5L篮式生物反应器和片状载体培养Vero细胞,接种乙型脑炎病毒P3V2株毒种,根据葡萄糖的消耗量,分析细胞的生长情况及调节病毒培养时的灌流速度,每24h取样,检测病毒滴度。收获的病毒液经纯化后,制备乙脑灭活疫苗,检测各项指标。结果Vero细胞培养至96h,葡萄糖消耗量达高峰,细胞密度达峰值;接种病毒后72h,葡萄糖消耗量达高峰,灌流量为7L/d,连续收获7～9d,共可收获(40±5)L病毒液;96h病毒滴度达高峰,为10.0LgLD50/ml;制备的乙型脑炎灭活疫苗各项指标均达到《中国药典》三部(2005版)要求。结论已建立了篮式生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎灭活疫苗的工艺。     

Phenolic Compounds from Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss and Their Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities

Halimodendron halodendron has been used as forage in northwestern China for a long time. Its young leaves and flowers are edible and favored by indigenous people. In this study, eleven phenolic compounds were bioassay-guided and isolated from the aerial parts of H. halodendron for the first time. They were identified by means of physicochemical and spectrometric analysis as quercetin (1), 3,5,7,8,4′-pentahydroxy-3′-methoxy flavone (2), 3-O-methylquercetin (3), 3,3′-di-O-methylquercetin (4), 3,3′-di-O-methylquercetin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (5), isorhamentin-3-O-β-d-rutinoside (6), 8-O-methylretusin (7), 8-O-methylretusin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (8), salicylic acid (9), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (ferulic acid) (10), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamic acid (11). They were sorted as flavonols (1–6), soflavones (7 and 8), and phenolic acids (9–11). Among the compounds, flanools 1–4 revealed a strong antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 50–150 μg/mL, and median inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 26.8–125.1 μg/mL. The two isoflavones (7 and 8) showed moderate inhibitory activity on the test bacteria. Three phenolic acids (9, 10 and 11) showed strong antibacterial activity with IC₅₀ values of 28.1–149.7 μg/mL. Antifungal activities of the compounds were similar to their antibacterial activities. All these phenolic compounds showed significant antimicrobial activity with a broad spectrum as well as antioxidant activity based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays. In general, the flavonol aglycones with relatively low polarity exhibited stronger activities than the glycosides. The results suggest the potential of this plant as a source of functional food ingredients and provide support data for its utilization as forage as well.     

蔗糖垫超速离心法提纯乙型脑炎疫苗

经Vero细胞培养的P3株乙脑灭活病毒，以超滤浓缩和硫酸色精蛋白处理后，40％蔗糖垫层在27500r／min离心6小时，收集沉淀制成提纯乙脑疫苗。其蛋白含量在0．012～0.035mg／ml，稀释8倍后其疫苗效价仍能超过日本提纯鼠脑乙脑疫苗参考标准和我国乙脑疫苗参考标准。Vero细胞残余DNA＜100pg／0．5ml，残余牛血清＜1μg／ml。     

Polyoxygenated Cembrane Diterpenoids from the Soft Coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi

Five new polyoxygenated cembranoids, named (+)-1,15-epoxy-2-methoxy-12-methoxycarbonyl-11E-sarcophytoxide (1), (+)-2-epi-12-methoxycarbonyl-11E-sarcophine (2), 3,4-epoxyehrenberoxide A (3), ehrenbergol D (4) and ehrenbergol E (5), were obtained from the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi. The structures of 1–5 were established on the basis of comprehensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses and by comparison with reported data in the literature. Compounds 4 and 5 showed moderate cytotoxicity against P-388 (mouse lymphocytic leukemia) cancer cell line with EC₅₀ values of 2.0 and 3.0 μM, respectively. Compound 2 exhibited slight antiviral activity against HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) with IC₅₀ values of 25.0 μg/mL.     

Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Ceria Nanoparticles on Different Cell Lines in Vitro

Owing to their radical scavenging and UV-filtering properties, ceria nanoparticles (CeO₂-NPs) are currently used for various applications, including as catalysts in diesel particulate filters. Because of their ability to filter UV light, CeO₂-NPs have garnered significant interest in the medical field and, consequently, are poised for use in various applications. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of short-term (24 h) and long-term (10 days) CeO₂-NP exposure to A549, CaCo2 and HepG2 cell lines. Cytotoxicity assays tested CeO₂-NPs over a concentration range of 0.5 μg/mL to 5000 μg/mL, whereas genotoxicity assays tested CeO₂-NPs over a concentration range of 0.5 μg/mL to 5000 μg/mL. In vitro assays showed almost no short-term exposure toxicity on any of the tested cell lines. Conversely, long-term CeO₂-NP exposure proved toxic for all tested cell lines. NP genotoxicity was detectable even at 24-h exposure. HepG2 was the most sensitive cell line overall; however, the A549 line was most sensitive to the lowest concentration tested. Moreover, the results confirmed the ceria nanoparticles’ capacity to protect cells when they are exposed to well-known oxidants such as H₂O₂. A Comet assay was performed in the presence of both H₂O₂ and CeO₂-NPs. When hydrogen peroxide was maintained at 25 μM, NPs at 0.5 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, and 500 μg/mL protected the cells from oxidative damage. Thus, the NPs prevented H₂O₂-induced genotoxic damage.     

生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎纯化疫苗

目的建立利用生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎纯化疫苗的新工艺。方法以Vero细胞作为乙型脑炎病毒增殖的细胞基质,使用微载体Cytodex-Ⅰ在15L生物反应器中进行高密度培养,采用2.5～4.5g/L的载体浓度培养乙型脑炎病毒,制备3批纯化乙型脑炎疫苗并进行检定。结果随着微载体浓度的增加,细胞密度升高。采用2.5～4.5g/L微载体培养的病毒收获液的平均滴度为7.38～7.56lgPFU/ml,收获量最高可达到12～15个有效罐体积。制备的3批疫苗各项质量指标均符合《中国药典》三部(2005版)相关要求。结论已建立了15L生物反应器制备Vero细胞乙型脑炎纯化疫苗的新工艺,为进一步放大生产规模奠定了基础。     

Design,Synthesis, Antibacterial,Antifungal and Anticancer Evaluations of Novel β-Pinene Quaternary Ammonium Salts

β-pinene is a monoterpene isolated from turpentine oil and numerous other plants’ essential oils, which has a broad spectrum of biological activities. In the current work, six novel β-pinene quaternary ammonium (β-PQA) salts were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their antifungal, antibacterial and anticancer activities. The in vitro assay results revealed that compounds 4a and 4b presented remarkable antimicrobial activity against the tested fungi and bacteria. In particular, compound 4a showed excellent activities against F. oxysporum f.sp. niveum, P. nicotianae var.nicotianae, R. solani, D. pinea and Fusicoccumaesculi, with EC₅₀ values of 4.50, 10.92, 9.45, 10.82 and 6.34 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, compound 4a showed the best antibacterial action against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and B. subtilis, with MIC at 2.5, 0.625, 1.25 and 1.25 μg/mL, respectively. The anticancer activity results demonstrated that compounds 4a, 4b, 4c and 4f exhibited remarkable activity against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines, with IC₅₀ values ranged from 1.10 to 25.54 μM. Notably, the compound 4c displayed the strongest cytotoxicity against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines, with the IC₅₀ values of 1.10 and 2.46 μM, respectively. Furthermore, preliminary antimicrobial mechanistic studies revealed that compound 4a might cause mycelium abnormalities of microbial, cell membrane permeability changes and inhibition of the activity of ATP. Altogether, these findings open interesting perspectives to the application of β-PQA salts as a novel leading structure for the development of effective antimicrobial and anticancer agents.     

Cytotoxicity Evaluation of a New Set of 2-Aminobenzo[de]iso-quinoline-1,3-diones

A new series of 2-amino-benzo[de]isoquinoline-1,3-diones was synthesized and fully characterized in our previous paper. Here, their cytotoxic effects have been evaluated in vitro in relation to colon HCT-116, hepatocellular Hep-G2 and breast MCF-7 cancer cell lines, using a crystal violet viability assay. The IC₅₀-values of the target compounds are reported in µg/mL, using doxorubicin as a reference drug. The findings revealed that compounds 14, 15, 16, 21 and 22 had significant cytotoxic effects against HCT-116, MCF-7 and Hep-G2 cell lines. Their IC₅₀ values ranged between 1.3 and 8.3 μg/mL in relation to doxorubicin (IC₅₀ ≈ 0.45–0.89 μg/mL). Therefore, these compounds could be used as templates for furthering the development and design of more potent antitumor agents through structural modification.     

Trans-Chalcone Plus Baicalein Synergistically Reduce Intracellular Amyloid Beta (Aβ42) and Protect from Aβ42 Induced Oxidative Damage in Yeast Models of Alzheimer’s Disease

Finding an effective therapeutic to prevent or cure AD has been difficult due to the complexity of the brain and limited experimental models. This study utilized unmodified and genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model organisms to find potential natural bioactive compounds capable of reducing intracellular amyloid beta 42 (Aβ₄₂) and associated oxidative damage. Eleven natural bioactive compounds including mangiferin, quercetin, rutin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), urolithin A, oleuropein, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, baicalein and trans-chalcone were screened for their ability to reduce intracellular green fluorescent protein tagged Aβ₄₂ (GFP-Aβ₄₂) levels. The two most effective compounds from the screens were combined in varying concentrations of each to study the combined capacity to reduce GFP-Aβ₄₂. The most effective combinations were examined for their effect on growth rate, turnover of native Aβ₄₂ and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The bioactive compounds except mangiferin and urolithin A significantly reduced intracellular GFP-Aβ₄₂ levels. Baicalein and trans-chalcone were the most effective compounds among those that were screened. The combination of baicalein and trans-chalcone synergistically reduced GFP-Aβ₄₂ levels. A combination of 15 μM trans-chalcone and 8 μM baicalein was found to be the most synergistic combination. The combination of the two compounds significantly reduced ROS and Aβ₄₂ levels in yeast cells expressing native Aβ₄₂ without affecting growth of the cells. These findings suggest that the combination of baicalein and trans-chalcone could be a promising multifactorial therapeutic strategy to cure or prevent AD. However, further studies are recommended to look for similar cytoprotective activity in humans and to find an optimal dosage.