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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
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Metformin Hydrochloride Significantly Inhibits Rotavirus Infection in Caco2 Cell Line, Intestinal Organoids, and Mice
Rui Zhang1,2, Cui Feng1,2, Dandan Luo1,2
1Institute for Smart Biomedical Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2023
Summary
Metformin hydrochloride shows potential as an antiviral therapy for rotavirus, a common cause of severe diarrhea in young children. This study demonstrates metformin
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrhea in children under five.
- No specific oral antiviral treatments currently exist for rotavirus infections.
- Metformin hydrochloride exhibits known antiviral properties and intestinal accumulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of metformin hydrochloride as an oral antiviral agent against rotavirus.
- To test the hypothesis that metformin hydrochloride can inhibit rotavirus replication in the intestine.
Main Methods:
- Infection experiments were performed using in vitro Caco-2 cells, small intestinal organoids, and in vivo suckling mice models.
- The expression of rotavirus mRNA and protein was measured.
- Pathological changes in the small intestine were assessed.
Main Results:
- A concentration of 0.5 mM metformin hydrochloride significantly inhibited rotavirus mRNA and protein expression across all tested models.
- Metformin treatment mitigated rotavirus-induced pathological lesions in the small intestine.
- Organoid models proved reliable for in vitro rotavirus research.
Conclusions:
- Metformin hydrochloride effectively inhibits rotavirus replication in the intestine.
- Metformin represents a promising therapeutic candidate for rotavirus infections.
- Intestinal organoids are a viable model for studying viral infections.
