Análise da atividade antiviral da glandicolina B em hepatócitos humanos (Huh-7) infectados in vitro pelo vírus dengue

Abstract

Dengue is an arboviral disease with a significant impact on global public health, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions such as Brazil. The high incidence of the disease, combined with the lack of specific antiviral treatments and the limited efficacy of available vaccines, underscores the need for new therapeutic strategies. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the antiviral activity of the peptide Glandicolin B, isolated from the fungus Penicillium rubens, in human hepatocytes (Huh-7) infected in vitro with dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2). The research was conducted at the Cellular Immunopharmacology Laboratory (LIFCEL) of the State University of Amazonas. Initially, the cytotoxicity of Glandicolin B was assessed using the MTT colorimetric assay at various concentrations (0.1 to 100 µg/mL) and exposure times (24h, 48h, and 72h). The results indicated that the substance did not exhibit significant toxicity, maintaining cell viability above 90% at all tested concentrations. Subsequently, the Huh-7 cell line was infected with DENV-2 and treated with Glandicolin B. Antiviral activity was evaluated by quantifying the viral NS1 protein in the supernatants using the ELISA assay. The analysis showed a slight reduction in NS1 levels in treated cells, particularly at the concentration of 100 µg/mL, compared to the untreated infected group; however, the data did not reach statistical significance. Therefore, although Glandicolin B proved to be safe for use in Huh-7 cells, it did not significantly inhibit viral replication under the tested conditions. This result does not invalidate the potential of the compound but suggests the need for further experiments, including adjustments to incubation time, higher concentrations, coadministration with other compounds, or additional analyses involving other viral markers. Keyword: Antiviral Molecule; Cytotoxicity; NS1 Antigen; Penicillium.