<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) can cause diarrhoea (BVD) in an animal herd, leading to heavy economic losses. There are limited drugs available for treating and controlling BVD. This research aims to investigate the antiviral and immunoregulatory effects of two traditional Chinese herb extracts against BVDV infection. The extracts are matrine and icariin, which have been proved to have immunostimulant and antiviral effects.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>A cell counting kit-8 assay was used to analyse the toxicity of matrine and icariin to Madin–Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. The model of MDBK cells infected with BVDV was utilised to uncover the antiviral mechanism of matrine and icariin, which along with their immunoregulatory ability was evaluated by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR and ELISA.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>The results showed that matrine and icariin can significantly inhibit the gene expression level of the BVDV 5′ untranslated region through various pathways. Both matrine and icariin can statistically upregulate the gene expression level of interferon alpha, interferon beta (IFN-β), toll-like receptor 3, retinoic acid–inducible gene I and interferon regulatory factor 3, and raise the concentration of IFN-β after BVDV infection.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>This study proves that both matrine and icariin have inhibitory effects on BVDV replication by activating IFN production and the IFN signalling pathway. The finding is promising and should open up the possibility of larger-scale <italic>in vitro</italic> research followed by <italic>in vivo</italic> experiments evaluating matrine and icariin as therapeutic agents in BVD cases.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) can cause diarrhoea (BVD) in an animal herd, leading to heavy economic losses. There are limited drugs available for treating and controlling BVD. This research aims to investigate the antiviral and immunoregulatory effects of two traditional Chinese herb extracts against BVDV infection. The extracts are matrine and icariin, which have been proved to have immunostimulant and antiviral effects.


Material and Methods
A cell counting kit-8 assay was used to analyse the toxicity of matrine and icariin to Madin–Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. The model of MDBK cells infected with BVDV was utilised to uncover the antiviral mechanism of matrine and icariin, which along with their immunoregulatory ability was evaluated by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR and ELISA.


Results
The results showed that matrine and icariin can significantly inhibit the gene expression level of the BVDV 5′ untranslated region through various pathways. Both matrine and icariin can statistically upregulate the gene expression level of interferon alpha, interferon beta (IFN-β), toll-like receptor 3, retinoic acid–inducible gene I and interferon regulatory factor 3, and raise the concentration of IFN-β after BVDV infection.


Conclusion
This study proves that both matrine and icariin have inhibitory effects on BVDV replication by activating IFN production and the IFN signalling pathway. The finding is promising and should open up the possibility of larger-scale in vitro research followed by in vivo experiments evaluating matrine and icariin as therapeutic agents in BVD cases.

Matrine and icariin can inhibit bovine viral diarrhoea virus replication by promoting type I interferon response <italic>in vitro</italic>

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Matrine and icariin can inhibit bovine viral diarrhoea virus replication by promoting type I interferon response 

Introduction
Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) can cause diarrhoea (BVD) in an animal herd, leading to heavy economic losses. There are limited drugs...

Matrine and icariin can inhibit bovine viral diarrhoea virus replication by promoting type I interferon response in vitro

Published Online: Mar 23, 2024

Page range: 35 - 44

Received: Aug 19, 2023

Accepted: Mar 01, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2024-0013

Keywords
bovine viral diarrhoea virus, matrine, icariin, antiviral effect, immunoregulation

© 2024 Dongjie Cai et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Matrine and icariin can inhibit bovine viral diarrhoea virus replication by promoting type I interferon response in vitro

Published Online: Mar 23, 2024

Page range: 35 - 44

Received: Aug 19, 2023

Accepted: Mar 01, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2024-0013

Keywordsbovine viral diarrhoea virus, matrine, icariin, antiviral effect, immunoregulation

© 2024 Dongjie Cai et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
bovine viral diarrhoea virus, matrine, icariin, antiviral effect, immunoregulation