title: Antiviral effect of a selective COX-2 inhibitor on H5N1 infection in vitro.
abstract: A selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor has been previously shown to suppress the hyper-induced pro-inflammatory responses in H5N1 infected primary human cells. Here, we demonstrate that COX-2 inhibitors suppress H5N1 virus replication in human macrophages suggesting that H5N1 virus replication (more so than seasonal H1N1 virus) is dependent on activation of COX-2 dependent signaling pathways in host cells. COX-2 and its downstream signaling pathways deserve detailed investigation as a novel therapeutic target for treatment of H5N1 disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. suki@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Suki M Y
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.forename: Timothy K W
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: J S M
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peiris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001717:Birds; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014764:Viral Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; C012655:nimesulide