title: Efficacy of traditional herbal medicines in combination with acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Traditional herbal medicines have been safely used for the treatment of various human diseases since ancient China. We selected 10 herbal extracts with therapeutic antiherpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity. Among these, Geum japonicum Thunb., Rhus javanica L., Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. et Perry, or Terminalia chebula Retzus showed a stronger anti-HSV-1 activity in combination with acyclovir than the other herbal extracts in vitro. When acyclovir and/or a herbal extract were orally administered at doses corresponding to human use, each of the 4 combinations significantly limited the development of skin lesions and/or prolonged the mean survival times of infected mice compared with both acyclovir and the herbal extract alone (P < 0.01 or 0.05). These combinations were not toxic to mice. They reduced virus yields in the brain and skin more strongly than acyclovir alone and exhibited stronger anti-HSV-1 activity in the brain than in the skin, in contrast to acyclovir treatment by itself. Combinations of acyclovir with historically used herbal medicines showed strong combined therapeutic anti-HSV-1 activity in mice, especially reduction of virus yield in the brain.
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000212:Acyclovir