title: Characterization of antiviral activity of a sesquiterpene, triptofordin C-2.
abstract: The activities of 13 sesquiterpenes isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook fil. var. regelii Makino were studied against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro. Among these compounds, only triptofordin C-2 showed a selectivity index of more than 10. The compound, which could also inhibit the replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), did not affect either adsorption or penetration of HSV-1 to host cells, but showed moderate virucidal activity against several enveloped viruses including HSV-1, HCMV, measles virus and influenza A virus. Triptofordin C-2 suppressed viral protein synthesis of infected cells when added at early steps of HSV-1 replication and exerted inhibition of translation of the transcripts of the immediate early genes. When acyclovir and triptofordin C-2 were evaluated in combination for antiviral activity against HSV-1 replication, additive antiviral effects were observed for this virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ujita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takaishi
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology; D000327:Adsorption / Q000187:drug effects; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C101048:triptofordin C 2; D000212:Acyclovir