Amphotericin B Inhibits Enterovirus 71 Replication by Impeding Viral Entry

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Enterovirus 71 (EV71) causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease with severe complications in children.
• There is a critical need for effective treatments against EV71 infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antiviral potential of Amphotericin B against Enterovirus 71 (EV71).
• To evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of Amphotericin B in inhibiting EV71 replication.

Main Methods:

• Cell culture experiments using RD and HEK293 cells.
• Quantification of EV71 RNA and viral protein expression.
• Determination of 50% effective concentration (EC50) values.
• Mechanistic studies on viral attachment and internalization.

Main Results:

• Amphotericin B significantly reduced EV71 RNA and protein expression in infected cells.
• EV71 production was inhibited with low EC50 values (1.75 μM in RD cells, 0.32 μM in 293 cells).
• Amphotericin B also demonstrated potent inhibition against Enterovirus 68 (EV68).
• Mechanistic studies indicated that Amphotericin B interferes with early viral infection stages, including attachment and internalization.

Conclusions:

• Amphotericin B exhibits potent antiviral activity against EV71 and EV68.
• The drug acts by inhibiting the early stages of viral entry into host cells.
• Amphotericin B, an established antifungal, presents a promising therapeutic candidate for treating enterovirus infections.