Oxymatrine provides protection against Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis in BALB/c mice

Oxymatrine is the primary pharmacological component of Sophora flavescens Ait. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of oxymatrine against Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis in mice. Coxsackievirus B3-infected HeLa cells were treated with oxymatrine and the viral titer, as well as the degree of cellular proliferation were determined. Additionally, BALB/c mice were infected with Coxsackievirus B3 and received differing concentrations of oxymatrine. On days 5 and 12 following treatment, mice were sacrificed, and serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase-MB isozyme, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were quantified. The heart index and degree of myocardial tissue inflammation were also assessed. On day 5, the Coxsackievirus B3 TCID₅₀ values of the heart tissue, and the expression of NTR, IFN-γ, and TNF-α genes in the myocardial tissue were measured. Our results showed that oxymatrine exhibits potent antiviral effects on Coxsackievirus B3 as 50% inhibition was achieved at a concentration as low as 0.238 mg/mL. Oxymatrine markedly reduced the viral titer and inhibited cardiac myocyte pathology exhibited in viral myocarditis. Furthermore, oxymatrine treatment reduced the expression of Coxsackievirus B3 NTR and mouse TNF-α genes compared to the controls. Therefore, our findings indicate that oxymatrine is a promising potent antiviral agent against Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis.