Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2017;7(6):630-637

doi:10.1016/j.apsb.2017.05.006

Chinese herbal medicine compound Yi-Zhi-Hao pellet inhibits replication of influenza virus infection through activation of heme oxygenase-1.

Jinqiu YIN 1 ; Linlin MA 2 ; Huiqiang WANG 1 ; Haiyan YAN 1 ; Jin HU 1 ; Wen JIANG 3 ; Yuhuan LI 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Hemagglutinin; Heme oxygenase 1; Influenza A virus; NF-κB; Nrf2; TMC

Country

China

Language

English

Abstract

As a leading cause of respiratory disease, influenza A virus (IAV) presents a pandemic threat in annual seasonal outbreaks. Given the limitation of existing anti-influenza therapies, there remains to be a requirement for new drugs. Compound Yi-Zhi-Hao pellet (CYZH) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in the clinic, whose formula has been recorded into treat common cold. In this study, we found that CYZH exhibited a broad-spectrum anti-influenza activity and inhibited the expression of viral RNA and proteins. Mechanistically, CYZH had no inhibitory activities against viral protein hemagglutinin and IAV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Instead, it induced activation of erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B), which subsequently upregulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Also, CYZH protected cells from oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen series. In conclusions, CYZH inhibits IAV replication, at least partly by activating expression of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.