title: In vitro and in vivo anti-hepatitis B virus activities of the lignan niranthin isolated from Phyllanthus niruri L.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Niranthin is a lignan isolated from Phyllanthus niruri L. This plant has long been used in folk medicine for liver protection and antihepatitis B in many Asian countries. This study was designed to evaluate the anti-hepatitis B virus activity of niranthin using HepG2.2.15 cells and duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infected ducks as in vitro and in vivo models.
  
  
  METHODS
  Niranthin was isolated from Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae) by extraction and chromatographic procedures and the anti-hepatitis B virus activity was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The human HBV-transfected liver cell line HepG2.2.15 was used in vitro assay. And the in vivo anti-hepatitis B virus activity was evaluated on the expression of HBV replication, HBsAg, HBeAg, ALT and AST on day 0, 7, 14, 17 after niranthin was dosed intragastricly (i.g.) once a day for 14 days at the dosages of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day in the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infected ducks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the human HBV-transfected liver cell line HepG2.2.15, the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg were significantly decreased after treatment with niranthin for 144 h, with IC50 values for HBsAg of 15.6 µM, IC50 values for HBeAg of 25.1 µM. In DHBV-infected ducklings, niranthin significantly reduced the serum DHBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, ALT and AST. Furthermore, analysis of the liver pathological changes confirmed the hepatoprotective effect of niranthin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental data demonstrated that niranthin exhibits anti-hepatitis B virus activity both in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China. Electronic address: wxwei@gxu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wanxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning 530004, PR China.
authors.forename: Kaichuang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China; College of Chemistry and Life Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000840:Anisoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004372:Ducks; D005260:Female; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D018347:Hepadnaviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D015611:Hepatitis B Virus, Duck / Q000187:drug effects; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D017705:Lignans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D029803:Phyllanthus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000840:Anisoles; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004149:Dioxoles; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D017705:Lignans; C475932:niranthin
keywords: Anti-HBV activity; Niranthin; Phyllanthus niruri L.