protopanaxatriol and Myocarditis

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a dominant causative agent for viral myocarditis. So far, effective therapies for the treatment of the disease are not available. 20(S)-Protopanaxtriol is a major component of Panax pseudoginseng and has been clinically used for the treatment of heart diseases. However, it is not known whether 20(S)-protopanaxtriol exerts any anti-viral effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of 20(S)-protopanaxtriol against CVB3 in vivo and in vitro.. The antiviral effects of 20(S)-protopanaxtriol in vitro were evaluated in HeLa cells infected by CVB3. Then, we examined the protective effects of 20(S)-protopanaxtriol on CVB3-induced myocarditis in BALB/c mice. These mice were treated with 20(S)-protopanaxtriol at doses of 100-400 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) for 7 days and compared with the controls.. We found that 20(S)-protopanaxtriol possessed potent antiviral effects on CVB3 in vitro. Compared with control mice, virus titers and pathological changes in the hearts were significantly decreased in the 20(S)-protopanaxtriol-treated group. Furthermore, biochemical markers of myocardial injury such as plasma lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase were decreased to normal levels.. These data provide the possibility that 20(S)-protopanaxtriol can be used as a potential therapeutic means for treatment of viral myocarditis.

Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Cell Survival; Coxsackievirus Infections; Creatine Kinase; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Enterovirus B, Human; HeLa Cells; Humans; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Myocarditis; Panax; Plants, Medicinal; Triterpenes; Viral Load