In Silico Screening of Potential Spike Glycoprotein Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 with Drug Repurposing Strategy / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To select potential molecules that can target viral spike proteins, which may potentially interrupt the interaction between the human angiotension-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and viral spike protein by virtual screening.@*METHODS@#The three-dimensional (3D)-coordinate file of the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 complex for searching a suitable docking pocket was firstly downloaded and prepared. Secondly, approximately 15,000 molecular candidates were prepared, including US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs from DrugBank and natural compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), for the docking process. Then, virtual screening was performed and the binding energy in Autodock Vina was calculated. Finally, the top 20 molecules with high binding energy and their Chinese medicine (CM) herb sources were listed in this paper.@*RESULTS@#It was found that digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside in DrugBank and bisindigotin in TCMSP had the highest docking scores. Interestingly, two of the CM herbs containing the natural compounds that had relatively high binding scores, Forsythiae fructus and Isatidis radix, are components of Lianhua Qingwen (), a CM formula reportedly exerting activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-Cov-2. Moreover, raltegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, was found to have a relatively high binding score.@*CONCLUSIONS@#A class of compounds, which are from FDA-approved drugs and CM natural compounds, that had high binding energy with RBD of the viral spike protein. Our work provides potential candidates for other researchers to identify inhibitors to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and highlights the importance of CM and integrative application of CM and Western medicine on treating COVID-19.

In Silico Screening of Potential Spike Glycoprotein Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 with Drug Repurposing Strategy / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To select potential molecules that can target viral spike proteins, which may potentially interrupt the interaction between the human angiotension-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and viral spike protein by virtual screening.@*METHODS@#The three-dimensional (3D)-coordinate file of the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 complex for searching a suitable docking pocket was firstly downloaded and prepared. Secondly, approximately 15,000 molecular candidates were prepared, including US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs from DrugBank and natural compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), for the docking process. Then, virtual screening was performed and the binding energy in Autodock Vina was calculated. Finally, the top 20 molecules with high binding energy and their Chinese medicine (CM) herb sources were listed in this paper.@*RESULTS@#It was found that digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside in DrugBank and bisindigotin in TCMSP had the highest docking scores. Interestingly, two of the CM herbs containing the natural compounds that had relatively high binding scores, Forsythiae fructus and Isatidis radix, are components of Lianhua Qingwen (), a CM formula reportedly exerting activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-Cov-2. Moreover, raltegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, was found to have a relatively high binding score.@*CONCLUSIONS@#A class of compounds, which are from FDA-approved drugs and CM natural compounds, that had high binding energy with RBD of the viral spike protein. Our work provides potential candidates for other researchers to identify inhibitors to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and highlights the importance of CM and integrative application of CM and Western medicine on treating COVID-19.

Study on real-time probe technique detecting mtDNA 11778 point mutation in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy patients / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Although Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and optic neuritis have different causes and managements,their clinical manifestations are difficult to be distinguished.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RTFQ-PCR) is a high flux,simple,rapid and specific detecting technology,so establishing a specific diagnosis method of LHON with RTFQ-PCR has a practical significance.Objective Purpose of the present study was to establish a real-time Taqman probe for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)11778G＞A mutation in LHON patients.Methods Primers and Taqman probe for mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation were designed based on mtDNA complete geneme.Eighty-four patients with LHON were selected from the LHON DNA bank of Molecular Biology Laboratory,Henan Eye Institute,and 40 normal physical examinees aged 18-20 years were from Henan People's Hospital.2 ml of periphery blood was collected from each individual.Based on the double-blindness principle,mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation was tested by both Taqman probe and sequencing to check the reliability of real-time Taqman probe.Results The mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation was found in 23 out of 84 patients,and 61 showed a negative result by the technique of real-time Taqman probe.The Ct values of 23 patients with mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation were 22.993 ±0.708,but those of 5 normal controls were 0.These findings showed a consistent rate of 100％ with the sequencing results.In addition,both the false positive rate and the false negative rate were zero.Conclusions Real-time Taqman probe technique is an accurate,convenient,sensitive,specific and intuitionistic method for the diagnosis of mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation in LHON patients.It is feasible and suitable to screen the LHON patients with mtDNA 11778G＞A mutation in a large scale.

Subtype analysis of gp41 gene of HIV-1 among men who have sex with men in Zhengzhou / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study aimed to investigate the subtype distribution of gp41 gene of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Zhengzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty blood samples were collected from men who have sex with men infected by HIV. The complete gp41 gene was amplified by RT-PCR and nested-PCR and sequenced. All sequences were edited by Bioedit and subtyped with HIV sequence library US Los Alamos National Laboratory and online genotyping software provided by American National Center of Biotechnology Information. Phylogenetic analysis of gp41 gene was performed using the MEGA 3.1 software, and the genic dispersion rates among subtype of gp41 gene were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of eighteen gene sequences of HIV-1 gp41 gene were obtained from thirty men who have sex with men infected by HIV, which belonged to subtype CRF15-01B (50% (9/18)), CRF01-AE (22% (4/18)), CRF07-B (22% (4/18)) and B (6% (1/18)), respectively. The intersubtype HIV-1 strains aggregate with according reference strains. The genetic distance inter-subtype of subtype CRF15-01B, CRF01-AE and CRF07-B were 0.050 ± 0.007, 0.052 ± 0.009 and 0.082 ± 0.012, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalent subtypes of HIV-1 among among MSM in Zhengzhou was complicated and recombinant HIV-1 strains were the most prevalent strains.</p>

Subtype and sequence analysis of gag gene of HIV-1 among men who have sex with men in Zhengzhou, Henan Province / 病毒学报

To investigate the subtype distribution of human immunodeficiency virus-1(HIV-1) infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, forty blood samples were collected from HIV-1 carriers, who acknowledged to have sex with men. The complete gag gene was amplified by RT-PCR and nested-PCR and sequenced. All sequences were edited by BioEdit and subtyped by genotyping software. Phylogenetic analysis of gag gene were then performed using the MEGA 3.1 software, the gene distances were calculated by Distance program. There were three different HIV-1 subtypes including B, CRF01-AE and CRF07-BC present among twenty four MSMs in Zhengzhou. Genotyping results showed that 33.33% (8/24) were B, 41.67% (10/24) were CRF01-AE and 25% (6/24) were CRF07-BC, and subtype CRF01-AE had become the most prevalent HIV-1 subtype in Zhengzhou, Henan province. In conclusion, recombinant HIV-1 strains are circulating in Henan province and the epidemiology is complicated.