Antiviral Activities of High Energy E-Beam Induced Copper Nanoparticles against H1N1 Influenza Virus

The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 in the year of 2020 that drastically changed everyone’s life has raised the urgent and intense need for the development of more efficacious antiviral material. This study was designed to develop copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) as an antiviral agent and to validate the antiviral activities of developed copper NP. The Cu NPs were synthesized using a high energy electron beam, and the characteristic morphologies and antiviral activities of Cu NPs were evaluated. We found that Cu NPs are of spherical shape and uniformly distributed, with a diameter of around 100 nm, as opposed to the irregular shape of commercially available copper microparticles (Cu MPs). An X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of Cu and no copper oxide II and I in the Cu NPs. A virus inactivation assay revealed no visible viral DNA after 10- and 30-min treatment of H1N1 virus with the Cu NPs. The infectivity of the Cu NPs-treated H1N1 virus significantly decreased compared with that of the Cu MPs-treated H1N1 virus. The viability of A549 bronchial and Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells infected with Cu NPs-treated H1N1 was significantly higher than those infected with Cu MPs-treated H1N1 virus. We also found cells infected with Cu NPs-treated H1N1 virus exhibited a markedly decreased presence of virus nucleoprotein (NuP), an influenza virus-specific structural protein, compared with cells infected with Cu MPs-treated H1N1 virus. Taken together, our study shows that Cu NPs are a more effective and efficacious antiviral agent compared with Cu MPs and offer promising opportunities for the prevention of devastatingly infectious diseases.

In silico analysis of local RNA secondary structure in influenza virus A, B and C finds evidence of widespread ordered stability but little evidence of significant covariation

Influenza virus is a persistent threat to human health; indeed, the deadliest modern pandemic was in 1918 when an H1N1 virus killed an estimated 50 million people globally. The intent of this work is to better understand influenza from an RNA-centric perspective to provide local, structural motifs with likely significance to the influenza infectious cycle for therapeutic targeting. To accomplish this, we analyzed over four hundred thousand RNA sequences spanning three major clades: influenza A, B and C. We scanned influenza segments for local secondary structure, identified/modeled motifs of likely functionality, and coupled the results to an analysis of evolutionary conservation. We discovered 185 significant regions of predicted ordered stability, yet evidence of sequence covariation was limited to 7 motifs, where 3—found in influenza C—had higher than expected amounts of sequence covariation.

Vulnerability of SARS-CoV-2 and PR8 H1N1 virus to cold atmospheric plasma activated media

Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) and Plasma Activated Media (PAM) are effective against bacteria, fungi, cancer cells, and viruses because they can deliver Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS) on a living tissue with negligible damage on health cells. The antiviral activity of CAP against SARS-CoV-2 is being investigated, however, the same but of PAM has not been explored despite its potential. In the present study, the capability of Plasma Activated Media (PAM) to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and PR8 H1N1 influenza virus with negligible damage on healthy cells is demonstrated. PAM acted by both virus detaching and diminished replication. Furthermore, the treatment of A549 lung cells at different times with buffered PAM did not induce interleukin 8 expression, showing that PAM did not induce inflammation. These results open a new research field by using PAM to the development novel treatments for COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory diseases.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Detection of Influenza A Virus (H1N1) in Sulaimani Governorate-Iraq

Influenza A (H1N1) virus is now rapidly scattering across the world. Early detection is one of the most effective measures to stop the further spread of the virus. The current study was aimed to detect influenza A (H1N1) serologically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. From September 2020 to June 2021, three hundred nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were collected from Hiwa and Shahid Tahir Hospitals in Sulaimani city. Obtained results revealed that 23.3% of the tested patients were seropositive anti-IgG for Influenza A, while 13.3% showed anti-IgM seropositive results although 10% of the tested cases were with both anti-IgG and anti-IgM seropositive results. Gender, residency, and flu symptoms showed no significant relations with seropositive results (p<0.05) whereas valuable relations were found between seropositive observations and smoking, the previous history of chronic diseases as well as employment status (p<0.05). It was concluded that hematologic investigations (CBC) were not dependable if H1N1 diagnosis and detection. Only 1% of the tested samples showed positive results for influenza A (H1N1) RNA using reverse transcription-PCR.

Inhibition of Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection by Pt/TiO2-SiO2 Bionanocatalysts

Background: The rapid mutation of the H1N1 strain of the Influenza virus makes it quite difficult to treat once the infection has spread. The development of new treatments based on the destabilization of the genetic material, regardless of the sequence, is necessary. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the antiviral properties of Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts against Influenza A (H1N1) virus in a post-infection model and to characterize the morphology of the nanoparticles. Methods: The bionanocatalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel method. Electron Microscopy studies were performed to evaluate the grain size and morphology of pure nanoparticles. Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells were infected with Influenza A (H1N1) virus. They were treated with 500 μL of three viral suspensions (1:50, 1:100, and 1:1000) and 500 μL of a nanoparticle suspension (2 ng/mL). The presence of the virus was identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) endpoint and the antiviral properties of the nanoparticles were identified in terms of infection reduction calculated by real-time PCR using Influenza A and H1N1 subtype primers. The percentage of infection reduction was calculated by comparing control samples and samples treated with the bionanocatalysts. Results: The Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts showed highly surface-dispersed platinum nanoparticles with an average particle size of 1.23 ± 0.36 nm in the amorphous mixed oxide matrix. The nanoparticles showed antiviral properties with a maximum reduction in viral proliferation of 65.2 ± 3.3%. Conclusion: Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts were able to reduce Influenza A (H1N1) viral infection 65.2 ± 3.3%; the results suggest the biocompatibility with healthy tissues and in vitro antiviral properties. Further studies should be conducted to identify the concentration required to achieve total virus clearance. However, the outcome of the present work suggests the possibility of implementing bionanocatalysts as treatments for Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, especially at an advanced stage of infection.

Bodiniosides S–Y, Seven New Triterpenoid Saponins from Elsholtzia bodinieri and Their Anti-Influenza Activities

Investigation of the n-BuOH extract of the aerial parts of Elsholtzia bodinieri led to the isolation of seven new triterpenoid saponins, Bodiniosides S–Y (1–7, resp.). Their strictures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic techniques, including HSQC, HSBC, and HSQC–TOCSY experiments, together with acid hydrolysis and GC analysis. The anti-influenza activities of compounds 1–7 were evaluated against A/WSN/33/2009 (H1N1) virus in MDCK cells. The results showed that compounds 2 and 5 exhibited moderate anti-influenza activities against A/WSN/33/2009 (H1N1), with inhibition rates of 35.33% and 24.08%, respectively.

Mixed polysaccharides derived from shiitake mushroom, Poriacocos, Ginger and Tangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice

The pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus spread globally and posed one of the most serious global public health challenges. The traditional Chinese medicine is served as a complementary treatment strategy with vaccine immunization. Here, we demonstrated the mixed polysaccharides (MPs) derived from shiitake mushroom, poriacocos, ginger and tyangerine peel prevent the H1N1 virus infections in mice. MPs pretreatment attenuated H1N1 virus-induced weight loss, clinical symptoms and death. The lymphocytes detection results showed the CD3+, CD19+ and CD25+ cell proportions were up-regulated in thymus under MPs pretreatment. Besides, MPs pretreatment reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and increased the cell proportions of CD19+, CD25+ and CD278+ in lung. However, MPs treatment have no effective therapeutic effect after H1N1 virus challenge. The current study suggested that pretreatment with MPs could attenuate H1N1 virus-induced lung injury and up-regulate humoral and cellular immune responses in non- immunized mice.

The PB1 Gene from H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus Showed High Compatibility and Increased Mutation Rate after Reassorting with a Human H1N1 Influenza Virus

BackgroundReassortment between human and avian influenza viruses (AIV) may result in novel viruses with new characteristics that may threaten human health when causing the next flu pandemic. A particular risk may be posed by avian influenza viruses of subtype H9N2 that are currently massively circulating in domestic poultry in Asia and have been shown to infect humans. In this study, we investigate the characteristics and compatibility of a human H1N1 virus with avian H9N2 derived genes. MethodsThe polymerase activity of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex from different reassortments was tested in luciferase reporter assays. Reassortant viruses were generated by reverse genetics in which genes of the human WSN-H1N1 virus (A/WSN/1933) were replaced by genes of the avian A2093-H9N2 virus (A/chicken/Jiangsu/A2093/2011). We replaced both the Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) genes in combination with one of the genes involved in the RNP complex (either PB2, PB1, PA or NP). The growth kinetics and virulence of reassortant viruses were tested on cell lines and mice. The reassortant viruses were then passaged for five generations in MDCK cells and mice lungs. The HA gene of progeny viruses from different passaging paths was analyzed using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). ResultsWe discovered that the avian PB1 gene increased the polymerase activity of the RNP complex. Reassortant viruses were able to replicate in MDCK and DF1 cells and mice. Analysis of the NGS data showed a higher substitution rate for the PB1-reassortant virus. In particular, for the PB1-reassortant virus, increased virulence for mice was measured by increased body weight loss after infection in mice. ConclusionsThe higher polymerase activity and increased mutation frequency measured for the PB1-reassortant virus suggests that the avian PB1 gene may drive the evolution and adaptation of novel reassortant viruses to the human host. This study provides novel insights in the characteristics of novel viruses that may arise by reassortment of human and avian influenza viruses. Surveillance for infections with H9N2 viruses and the emergence of novel reassortant viruses in humans is important for pandemic preparedness.