Wogonin inhibits latent HIV-1 reactivation by downregulating histone crotonylation.

BACKGROUND: Wogonin, a flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a commonly used phytochemical with anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. However, the antiviral activity of wogonin against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has not been reported. PURPOSE: The current study aimed to explore whether wogonin can suppress latent HIV-1 reactivation and the mechanism of wogonin in inhibiting proviral HIV-1 transcription. METHODS: We assessed the effects of wogonin on HIV-1 reactivation using flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assay, quantitative PCR (qPCR), viral quality assurance (VQA), and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Wogonin, a flavone isolated from S. baicalensis, significantly inhibited the reactivation of latent HIV-1 in cellular models and in primary CD4+ T cells from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed individuals ex vivo. Wogonin exhibited low cytotoxicity and long-lasting inhibition of HIV-1 transcription. Triptolide is a latency-promoting agent (LPA) that inhibits HIV-1 transcription and replication; wogonin had a stronger ability to inhibit HIV-1 latent reactivation than triptolide. Mechanistically, wogonin inhibited the reactivation of latent HIV-1 by inhibiting the expression of p300, a histone acetyltransferase, and decreasing the crotonylation of histone H3/H4 in the HIV-1 promoter region. CONCLUSION: Our study found that wogonin is a novel LPA that can inhibit HIV-1 transcription by HIV-1 epigenetic silencing, which could bear promising significance for future applications of HIV-1 functional cure.

Evaluation of the Adjuvant Efficacy of Natural Herbal Medicine on COVID-19: A Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study.

Since the outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei province, the epidemic scale has increased rapidly, and no effective antiviral drug therapy has been identified yet. This study aimed to evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of Natural Herbal Medicine (NHM) combined with Western medicine in the treatment of COVID-19. We performed a retrospective, 1:1 matched, case-control study of the first cohort of hospitalized COVID-19-confirmed cases (January 17, 2020 to January 28, 2020). A total of 22 of the 36 confirmed patients were included in this study, split into two groups of 11: the NHM group (NHM combined standard Western medicine treatment) and control group (standard Western medicine treatment alone). All patients received appropriate supportive care and regular clinical and laboratory monitoring. Main evaluation indicators included improvement of clinical symptoms such as fever, cough and diarrhea after hospitalization; pathogen nucleic acid test result of respiratory tract and fecal specimens of the patient after hospitalization, and change of chest CT examination after hospitalization. The duration of fever in the NHM group ([Formula: see text] days) was significantly shorter than that in the control group ([Formula: see text] days) ([Formula: see text]). During the whole hospitalization period, the number of cases with diarrhea in the NHM group (two cases) was less than that in the control group (eight cases) ([Formula: see text]). Compared with the control group ([Formula: see text]), the duration for improvement (DI) of chest CT in the NHM group ([Formula: see text]) was significantly shorter ([Formula: see text]). Our results suggest that NHM could improve the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and may be effective in treating COVID-19; thus, a larger, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial should be conducted to further evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of NHM in the treatment of COVID-19.

[Relationship between hepatitis B virus in gastric mucosa and syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in gastric mucosa and the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach. METHODS: Subjects were divided into 2 groups: 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach in hepatitis group, and 30 patients with chronic gastritis and the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach in gastritis group. Liver function and the markers of HBV were detected. The contents of HBV-DNA in serum and in gastric mucosa were assayed respectively by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR). RESULTS: (1) The incidence of gastric mucosal lesion in hepatitis group was up to 96.7% (29/30). (2) Scores of the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach in hepatitis group were significantly lower than those in gastritis group (P<0.05). The positive rates of HBV-DNA in serum, gastric fundus, body and antrum were 56.7%, 76.7%, 76.7% and 70.0%, respectively. (3) A positive correlation was found not only among the content of HBV-DNA in serum and the contents of HBV-DNA in gastric mucosa (r=0.66-0.94, P<0.01), but also among the contents of HBV-DNA in serum, gastric mucosa and the total score of the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach in hepatitis group (r=0.36-0.52, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The infection of HBV is involved in the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach. Gastric mucosal lesion is universal in CHB patients with the syndrome of disharmony between liver and stomach.