Affiliations: Dr. Rath Research Institute, Santa Clara, CA,
USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, 1260 Memorex
Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95050, USA. Tel.: +1 408 807 5564; Fax: +1 408 567 5030;
E-mail: author@drrath.com
Abstract: Influenza, a long-standing common infection, poses a serious health
problem causing significant morbidity and mortality, and imposing substantial
economic costs. To date there are no effective antiviral therapies. A unique
nutrient mixture (NM), containing lysine, proline, ascorbic acid, green tea
extract, N-acetyl cysteine and selenium among other micro nutrients, has been
shown to exert a wide range of biochemical and pharmacological effects, among
them anti-carcinogenic and anti-atherogenic activity both in vitro and
in vivo. In a previous study, NM was found to significantly inhibit
influenza virus A associated neuraminidase enzyme as well as production of NP
antigen in a dose-dependent manner. Influenza virus A not only infects
pulmonary areas, but also manifests in extrapulmonary areas, which require
basement membrane disruption by matrix metalloproteinases capable of degrading
collagen type IV. This prompted us to study the effect of NM on cellular
invasive parameters of virus-infected and non-infected MDCK and Vero cells. NM
inhibited extracellular invasive parameters such as MMP-2 and MMP-9 secretion
and Matrigel invasion. Results indicated that the relatively non-toxic nutrient
mixture tested in this investigation has potential in influenza treatment by
not only decreasing viral multiplication in infected cells but also by blocking
the enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix.
Keywords: Influenza A virus, nutrients, matrix metalloproteinases, Matrigel invasion, MDCK, Vero
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 61-75, 2008
