[Inhibition effects of rhubarb ethanol extract on herpes simplex virus infection in vivo].
OBJECTIVE
To know the anti-viral effects of rhubarb ethanol extract (REE) on herpes simplex virus(HSV) infection in vivo.


METHODS
BALB/c mice inoculated from tail vein with 0.15 ml of HSV (TCID50=10(3)) were injected hypodermically with REE next day. After divided into seven groups, three groups of mice were given different doses of REE respectively and the other groups as controls. Pathological sections from the liver, spleen, kidney were made at different times of postinfection, and their pathological changes were observed under microscope; the virus titers in viscera were assayed by using plaque formation technique and the rhubarb inhibitions to the infection of HSV in vivo?were observed.


RESULTS
No toxic response to mice were observed for REE injected hypodermically; no pathological changes were observed in different therapy groups of spleens. And those in livers and kidneys at medium- and high-dosed groups disappeared quickly. The effect of low-dosed group was equal to that of positive control group, acyclovir(ACV); the results of the titer tests showed that the virus decreased rapidly by using REE, especially in the medium- and high-dosed groups which were much more marked than the low-dosed group; Q test of the data showed that total mean value had statistical significance (F=49.1459, P<0.01); moreover there were statistical significance between therapy groups (ACV, DH1, DH2, DH3) and non-therapy groups (VC) (P<0.01 ) and between DH2, DH3 and DH1 (P<0.01); no statistical significance were found between DH1, DH2 or DH3 and ACV (P>0.05). Results show that as to the effect of decreasing the average of the total titer, rhubarb is as effective as ACV; furthermore, the medium- and high-dosed groups are superior to the low-dosed group.


CONCLUSIONS
REE has significant anti-viral effect on HSV in vivo; there will be a wide application foreground of it in clinical usage.
Wang
Zhi-yu
ZY
Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. zhiyu.wang@sdu.edu.cn
Xu
Bin
B
Song
Yan-yan
YY
Wang
Gui-ting
GT
Xu
Hong-zhi
HZ
Wang
Xiao-fan
XF
Xue
Yong-lei
YL
Wang
Zhan-yong
ZY
Yu
Xiu-ping
XP
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011897:Random Allocation; D012250:Rheum
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal