Adenosine and L-proline can possibly hinder Chinese Sacbrood virus infection in honey bees via immune modulation.

Sacbrood virus (SBV) infects larvae of honey bees, resulting in infected larvae becoming fluid-filled sacs. Our previous studies showed that the extract of herbal medicine, Radix Isatidis, could inhibit Chinese SBV (CSBV) infection in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana). Here, two compounds, adenosine and L-proline, which were previously reported to be associated with immune modulation, were identified in R. Isatidis extract and then selected for an evaluation of their antiviral effect on CSBV infection in A. cerana. Our results revealed that both adenosine and L-proline could significantly mitigate the impact of CSBV on the growth and development of infected larvae and modulate hosts' immune responses by downregulating the expression of immune genes in infected larvae. The results gained from this study suggest that adenosine and L-proline could possibly interfere CSBV infection via immune modulation to avoid exacerbations and nonspecific damage to infected larvae's own tissues.

Antiviral Activities of a Medicinal Plant Extract Against Sacbrood Virus in Honeybees.

BACKGROUND: Sacbrood is an infectious disease of the honey bee caused by Scbrood virus (SBV) which belongs to the family Iflaviridae and is especially lethal for Asian honeybee Apis cerana. Chinese Sacbrood virus (CSBV) is a geographic strain of SBV. Currently, there is a lack of an effective antiviral agent for controlling CSBV infection in honey bees. METHODS: Here, we explored the antiviral effect of a Chinese medicinal herb Radix isatidis on CSBV infection in A. cerana by inoculating the 3rd instar larvae with purified CSBV and treating the infected bee larvae with R. isatidis extract at the same time. The growth, development, and survival of larvae between the control and treatment groups were compared. The CSBV copy number at the 4th instar, 5th instar, and 6th instar larvae was measured by the absolute quantification PCR method. RESULTS: Bioassays revealed that R. isatidis extract significantly inhibited the replication of CSBV, mitigated the impacts of CSBV on larval growth and development, reduced the mortality of CSBV-infected A. cerana larvae, and modulated the expression of immune transcripts in infected bees. CONCLUSION: Although the mechanism underlying the inhibition of CSBV replication by the medicine plant will require further investigation, this study demonstrated the antiviral activity of R. isatidis extract and provides a potential strategy for controlling SBV infection in honey bees.

Clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with COVID-19 in Henan Province, China.

Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19) outbroke in Wuhan and spread in China. Here we aimed to investigate the clinical and radiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases. We collected and analyzed the clinical data of 172 hospitalized cases of COVID-19 who were diagnosed via qRT-PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs during January 2020 and February 2020. The chest images were reviewed by radiologists and respirologists. The older patients with COVID-19 in Henan Province had more severe disease and worse prognosis. The male sex, smoking history and Wuhan exposure of patients are not related to the severity or prognosis of COVID-19. Family gatherings were showed among 26.7% of patients. A greater proportion of patients in the severe group suffer from combined chronic diseases. CT results showed that most patients had bilateral lung lesions and multiple lung lobes. The lungs of severe patients are more damaged. Both the infection range and inflammatory factor levels are related to the poor prognosis. Antiviral drugs, immunoglobulin and traditional Chinese medicine are mainly used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The discharge rate of COVID-19 patients was 93.0%, and the mortality rate was 2.3%. Case type, lymphocyte ratio grade, and respiratory failure at admission are risk factors for poor prognosis, except for the number of infiltrating lung lobes. The results showed that severe disease process, lymphopenia and respiratory failure are risk factors for the COVID-19.