Interleukin 1βreceptor and synaptic dysfunction in recurrent brain infection with Herpes simplex virus type-1

Several experimental evidence suggests a link between brain Herpes simplex virus type-1 infection and the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying this association are not completely understood.Among the molecular mediators of synaptic and cognitive dysfunction occurring after Herpes simplex virus type-1 infection and reactivation in the brain neuroinflammatory cytokines seem to occupy a central role.Here,we specifically reviewed literature reports dealing with the impact of neuroinflammation on synaptic dysfunction observed after recurrent Herpes simplex virus type-1 reactivation in the brain,highlighting the role of interleukins and,in particular,interleukin 1βas a possible target against Herpes simplex virus type-1-induced neuronal dysfunctions.

Black Garlic as an Antiviral for Herpes Simplex Virus-2 in Lung Cells

Allicin, an antioxidant, is known for providing garlic with its unique fragrance and taste, as well as for its antimicrobial properties. Black garlic, a fermented form of garlic, contains higher levels of antioxidants than fresh garlic. Antioxidants play a vital role in alleviating cellular stress during viral infections. Viral infections result in oxidative stress through the production of reactive oxidative species (ROS). A prolonged state of oxidative stress can result in cell death, DNA damage, and disease progression. In this study, black garlic extract (BGE) is evaluated for its ability to mitigate cytopathic effects and oxidative stress caused by herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) infections in vitro. Antiviral assays were performed to determine the percent of viral inhibition resulting from treatment with the BGE. ROS-GloTM H2O2 assays were then completed to measure the post-infection ROS levels of BGE-treated virus and cells. The results thus far suggest that BGE may inhibit viral infection and decrease levels of oxidative stress.

Herpes simplex keratitis:A brief clinical overview

The aim of our minireview is to provide a brief overview of the diagnosis,clinical aspects,treatment options,management,and current literature available regarding herpes simplex keratitis(HSK).This type of corneal viral infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus(HSV),which can affect several tissues,including the cornea.One significant aspect of HSK is its potential to cause recurrent episodes of inflammation and damage to the cornea.After the initial infection,the HSV can establish a latent infection in the trigeminal ganglion,a nerve cluster near the eye.The virus may remain dormant for extended periods.Periodic reactivation of the virus can occur,leading to recurrent episodes of HSK.Factors triggering reactivation include stress,illness,immunosuppression,or trauma.Recurrent episodes can manifest in different clinical patterns,ranging from mild epithelial involvement to more severe stromal or endothelial disease.The severity and frequency of recurrences vary among individuals.Severe cases of HSK,especially those involving the stroma and leading to scarring,can result in vision impairment or even blindness in extreme cases.The cornea's clarity is crucial for good vision,and scarring can compromise this,potentially leading to visual impairment.The management of HSK involves not only treating acute episodes but also implementing long-term strategies to prevent recurrences and attempt repairs of corneal nerve endings via neurotization.Antiviral medications,such as oral Acyclovir or topical Ganciclovir,may be prescribed for prophylaxis.The immune response to the virus can contribute to corneal damage.Inflammation,caused by the body's attempt to control the infection,may inadvertently harm the corneal tissues.Clinicians should be informed about triggers and advised on measures to minimize the risk of reactivation.In summary,the recurrent nature of HSK underscores the importance of both acute and long-term management strategies to preserve corneal health and maintain optimal visual function.

Role of viruses in periodontitis:An extensive review of herpesviruses,human immunodeficiency virus,coronavirus-19,papillomavirus and hepatitis viruses

Periodontitis is the inflammation of the supporting structures around the dentition.Several microbial agents,mostly bacteria,have been identified as causative factors for periodontal disease.On the other hand,oral cavity is a rich reservoir for viruses since it contains a wide variety of cell types that can be targeted by viruses.Traditionally,the focus of research about the oral flora has been on bacteria because the most widespread oral diseases,like periodontitis and dental caries,are outcomes of bacterial infection.However,recently and especially after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019,there is a growing tendency toward including viruses also into the scope of oral microbiome investigations.The global high prevalence of periodontitis and viral infections may point out to a concomitant or synergistic effect between the two.Although the exact nature of the mechanism still is not clearly understood,this could be speculated through the manipulation of the immune system by viruses;hence facilitating the furthermore colonization of the oral tissues by bacteria.This review provides an extensive and detailed update on the role of the most common viruses including herpes family(herpes simplex,varicella-zoster,Epstein-Barr,cytomegalovirus),Human papillomaviruses,Human immunodeficiency virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the initiation,progression and prognosis of periodontitis.

Antiviral activity of mangiferin from the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides against herpes simplex virus type 1

Objective:To evaluate the antiviral activity of pure compounds against herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1)from the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides.Methods:Bioassay-guided isolation was conducted to separate the active compound and its chemical structure was elucidated by spectral analysis.In vitro antiviral efficacy of active compound was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay,plaque reduction assay,and fluorescence observation.RT-PCR was used to determine the viral load and the cytokine-related gene expression after HSV-1 infection.In vivo study was also conducted to further determine antiviral efficacy of an active compound against HSV-1.Results:An active compound was isolated and elucidated as mangiferin.Mangiferin significantly inhibited the replication of HSV-1 in Vero cells with a half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC_(50))of 64.0 mg/L.Time-of-addition and time-of-removal assays demonstrated that mangiferin could effectively inhibit the replication of HSV-1 in the early stage(8 h).UL12,UL42,and UL54 gene expression levels of HSV-1 in the 64 mg/L mangiferin-treated group were markedly reduced as compared with the HSV-1 group(P<0.01).Fluorescence observation showed that mangiferin attenuated the mitochondrial damage maintainingΔΨm induced by HSV-1 in Vero cells.The expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 was remarkably increased in the virus-infected group as compared with that in the normal group(P<0.05),the levels of these inflammatory factors dropped after treatment with mangiferin.Mangiferin significantly decreased the viral load and attenuated the HSV-1-induced up-regulation of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6.The relative protection rate of HSV-1-infected mice could reach up to55.5%when the concentration of mangiferin was 4 g/kg.Conclusions:Mangiferin exhibits promising antiviral activity against HSV-1 in vitro and in vivo and could be a potential antiviral agent for HSV-1.

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Central Nervous System Co-Infection

Co-infections of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by bacterial and viral pathogens are considered to be rare. Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) reactivation following Streptococcus pneumoniae infection is well described but most cases are related to oral or cutaneous lesions or in respiratory samples. HSV-1 CNS reactivation after Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis is a very rare event and may have significant morbidity and mortality. In this case report, we describe a 71-year-old female patient that presented with a history of abdominal pain and confusion/disorientation that had tonic-clonic seizures while in the Emergency Department. The diagnostic work-up confirmed CNS co-infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and HSV-1. Of note, beyond age, the patient had no known risk factors for both entities and recovered fully after antibiotic and antiviral therapy. This case underlines that clinicians must be aware of CNS co-infection despite being a rare diagnosis. This should be suspected particularly in patients who present an unusual clinical course of CNS infection.

A Meta-Analysis on the Correlation Between Herpes Simplex Virus Type II Infection and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in China

Objective:To systematically evaluate the relationship between herpes simplex virus type II(HSV-2)infection in pregnant women and the adverse pregnancy outcomes(preterm delivery,spontaneous abortion,stillbirth,monstrum,low birth weight,intrauterine growth retardation,premature rupture of membranes),so as to provide clinical guidance for the prevention and treatment of adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by HSV-2 infection in pregnant women.Methods:2140 articles were collected from PubMed,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),and other databases for the past 20 years.According to the inclusion criteria,the literatures about the relationship between HSV-2 infection of pregnant women and adverse pregnancy outcomes were screened.The effect model was determined by heterogeneity test results,and the meta-analysis was carried out by RevMan 5.3 software.Results:The results of meta-analysis showed that the positive rate of HSV-2 was higher in the adverse pregnancy group than in the control group(odds ratio[OR]:7.92,95%confidence interval[Cl]:3.91-16.01),and the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion:HSV-2 infection will increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Prevention and effective control of HSV-2 infection in early pregnancy can reduce the rate of adverse pregnancy outcome,which is of great significance to the promotion of eugenics.

The miRNAs of Herpes Simplex Virus(HSV)

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a group of common human pathogens with two serotypes HSV-1 and HSV-2.The prevalence of HSV is worldwide.It primarily infects humans through epithelial cells,when it introduces a latent infection into the nervous system.During viral latency,only a region known as the latency-associated transcript (LAT) is expressed.The discovery of HSV miRNAs helps to draw a larger picture of the infection and pathogenesis of the virus.This review summarizes miRNAs found in HSV-1 and HSV-2 so far.The functional studies of miRNAs in HSV to date indicate that they play a stage-specific role coordinated with viral proteins to maintain the virus life cycle.

SEARCH FOR HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE2（HSV－2）AND HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS（HPV）IN THE NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CERVICAL SAMPLES

The specimens of 111 cervical carcinomas. 68 chronic cervicitis and 43 normal cervical exfoliated epithelial cells were examined for the presence of HSV2 DNA sequences with DNA hybridization using HSV2 BgL Ⅱ N fragment probe labelled by 32PdCTP. The result showed that the infection rates of HSV2 in the samples of cervical cancer.chronic cervicitis and normal epithelial cells were 1 4. 41 %(16/111). 27.94%( 19/68) and 25.58% ( 11/43),respectively. It was implied that early stages carcinogenesis of cervical epithelial cells might be correlated with the HSV2 infection.Sixteen HSV 2 positive samples of cervical carcinomas were also examined for the presence of the sequences homologous to human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6B/11. 16 and 18 DNA using dot blot hybridization (Tm17℃). The result indicated that 13 out of 16 were HPV 16 DNA hybridization positive accounting for 81. 2% of all HSV-2 positive samples and none of them were positive for HPV type 6B/11 and 18. The result indicated that double infection of HSV 2 and HPV16 in the same cervical carcinoma tissues may provide a strong evidence of the viral synergistic interaction in the induction of female cervical

Consistency Analysis of Detection Results of Two Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type II Nucleic Acid Detection Kits

Objective: The objective of the study is to verify the clinical validity of the following kits with the comparative experimental analysis and evaluate whether their performance can meet the clinical requirements, i.e. Class III in vitro diagnostic reagent “Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type II Nucleic Acid Detection Kit (PCR-Fluorescence Probe Method)” of Daan Gene Co., Ltd. (Daan kit for short) and “Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type II Nucleic Acid Detection Kit (Fluorescence PCR Method)” of Wuhan Biot Gene Co., Ltd. (Biot kit for short). Method: In the study process, the samples were divided into positive and negative groups according to the control test results, and the clinical application performance of Daan kit and Biot kit was evaluated by comparing their test results. Results: The results show that two kits indicate the same test results, i.e. 26 positive and 107 negative samples in a total of 133 male urethral discharge samples, and 32 positive and 238 negative samples in a total of 270 female cervical secretion samples. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the clinical test that Daan and Biot Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type II Nuc- leic Acid Test Kits are reliable, accurate, safe, convenient for use, stable and high-value in the clinical application.

Kinetics of <i>Candida albicans</i>and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Biofilm Initiation on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2) Infected Cells

This study examines the kinetics of S. aureus and C. albicans adherence as it relates to HSV replication and corresponding dynamic display of shared receptors. HeLa cells infected for various times with HSV-1 gL86 or HSV-2 333gJ-(MOI 50) were incubated with S. aureus ATCC 25923 or C. albicans yeast and CFU measured. Over time, S. aureus adherence to HSV-1 infected cells was relatively stable for 45 min then decreased to 0.8 of virus-free control, before cycling at 15-to-30 min intervals. In contrast, staphylococcal adherence to HSV-2 infected cells proceeded at a more gradual rate, increasing to control levels at ~105 min before decreasing to a nadir at 165 min. Yeast adherence to HSV-1 infected cells remained relatively unchanged for the first 75 min then increased 2-fold before returning to its original level. This pattern is repeated over the next 90 min. While a similar pattern with C. albicans and HSV-2 was measured, it occurred more rapidly. Our model shows that while the interaction of both HSV-1 and HSV-2 with S. aureus is both dynamic and inhibitory, C. albicans interaction with HSV-2 is more permissive than HSV-1. However, the interaction of both microbes with HSV-infected cells in this model system appears to be independent of α5B1, CD36 and HSP60 viral-regulated receptor expression. These findings indicate that microbiome interactions across taxonomic kingdoms are more complex than previously thought.

Effect of Gardenia extract ZG on the adsorption quantity of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)

To observe the effect of Gardenia extract ZG on the adsorption quantity of herpes simplex virus type 1 （HSV-1） so as to explore the mechanism of its antiviral activity, fluorescein isothiocyanate （FITC） was used as the fluorescent probe to label viruses and heparin sodium was used as control. Meanwhile, the effect of Gardenia extract ZG on the adsorption quantity on the surface of Hep-2 cells was determined by flow cytometry. It was demonstrated that adsorption of HSV-1 on the surface of Hep-2 cells exhibited the character of saturation and specificity and heparin sodium could prevent attachment of viruses on these ceils. These results are in accord with those reported previously. It was also proved that the manner of drug-use prior to adsorption or simultaneous use of drug and adsorption was better than adsorption prior to drug-use, and the inhibition rates of the former and latter manner were 84.76% and 82.92% respectively. Three manners of drug-use with Gardenia extract ZG were all effective to reduce the adsorption quantity of viruses, especially the manner of simultaneous use of drug and adsorption with an adsorption inhibition rate of 68.46%. From the above observation, it is apparent that the mechanism of anti-viral activity of Gardenia extract ZG may be via several steps involved in the HSV-1 adsorption.

New strategies against drug resistance to herpes simplex virus

Herpes simplex virus （HSV）, a member of the Herpesviridae family, is a significant human pathogen that results in mucocutaneous lesions in the oral cavity or genital infections. Acyclovir （ACV） and related nucleoside analogues can successfully treat HSV infections, but the emergence of drug resistance to ACV has created a barrier for the treatment of HSV infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. There is an urgent need to explore new and effective tactics to circumvent drug resistance to HSV. This review summarises the current strategies in the development of new targets （the DNA helicase/primase （H/P） complex）, new types of molecules （nature products） and new antiviral mechanisms （lethal mutagenesis of Janus-type nucleosides） to fight the drug resistance of HSV.

Anti-herpes simplex virus activities of monogalactosyl diglyceride and digalactosyl diglyceride from Clinacanthus nutans, a traditional Thai herbal medicine

Objective: To evaluate the monogalactosyl diglyceride(MGDG) and digalactosyl diglyceride(DGDG) from Clinacanthus nutans(C. nutans) for their in vitro antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and type 2(HSV-2) by plaque reduction assay.Methods: MGDG and DGDG were extracted with chloroform from C. nutans leaves.MGDG and DGDG were separated from chloroform crude extract using column chromatography, characterized by thin layer chromatography and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The anti HSV-1 and 2 activity against pre-treatment and posttreatment of the compounds was evaluated using plaque reduction assay. The cytotoxicity of the extract and the compounds on Vero cells were performed by MTT assay.Results: MGDG and DGDG obtained by column chromatography showed identical profiles as standard MGDG and standard DGDG using thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. MGDG and DGDG from C. nutans showed 100%inhibition of HSV-1 replication at the post step of infection at noncytotoxic concentration with IC50 values of 36.00 and 40.00 mg/m L, and HSV-2 at 41.00 and 43.20 mg/mL,respectively. Moreover, MGDG and DGDG from C. nutans were demonstrated to have antiherpes simplex activity at the same level as standard synthetic compounds. In contrast, pretreatment of Vero cells with MGDG and DGDG before HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection did not show inhibitory effect against these viruses. MGDG and DGDG exhibited antiviral activity against HSV-1 with selectivity index of 26.00 and 23.00 and HSV-2 of 23.30 and 21.30.Conclusions: MGDG and DGDG from C. nutans, a traditional Thai herbal medicine illustrated inhibitory activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2, probably by inhibiting the late stage of multiplication, suggesting their promising use as anti-HSV agents.

Antiviral activity of Basidiomycete mycelia against influenza type A(serotype H1N1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 in cell culture

In this study, we investigated the in vitro antiviral activity of the mycelia of higher mushrooms against influenza virus type A(serotype H1N1) and herpes simplex virus type 2(HSV-2), strain BH. All 10 investigated mushroom species inhibited the reproduction of influenza virus strain A/FM/1/47(H1N1) in MDCK cells reducing the infectious titer by 2.0–6.0 lg ID50. Four species, Pleurotus ostreatus, Fomes fomentarius, Auriporia aurea, and Trametes versicolor, were also determined to be effective against HSV-2 strain BH in RK-13 cells, with similar levels of inhibition as for influenza. For some of the investigated mushroom species—Pleurotus eryngii, Lyophyllum shimeji, and Flammulina velutipes—this is the first report of an anti-influenza effect. This study also reports the first data on the medicinal properties of A. aurea, including anti-influenza and antiherpetic activities. T. versicolor 353 mycelium was found to have a high therapeutic index(324.67), and may be a promising material for the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-influenza and antiherpetic agent with low toxicity. Mycelia with antiviral activity were obtained in our investigation by bioconversion of agricultural wastes(amaranth flour after CO2 extraction), which would reduce the cost of the final product and solve some ecological problems.

The identities and anti-herpes simplex virus activity of Clinacanthus nutans and Clinacanthus siamensis

Objective:To distinguish the difference among the Clinacanthus nutans(Burm.f.)Lindau(C.nutans)and Clinacanthus siamensis Bremek(C.siamensis)by assessing pharmacognosy characteristics,molecular aspect and also to evaluate their anti-herpes simplex virus(HSV)type 1 and type 2 activities.Methods:Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation were performed according to WHO Geneva guideline.Stomatal number,stomatal index and palisade ratio of leaves were evaluated.Genomic DNA was extracted by modified CTAB method and ITS region was amplified using PGR and then sequenced.Dry leaves were subsequently extracted with n-hexane,dichloromethane and methanol and antiviral activity was performed using plaque reduction assay and the cytotoxicity of the extracts on Vero cells was determined by MTT assay.Results:Cross section of midrib and stem showed similar major components.Leaf measurement index of stomatal number,stomatal index and palisade ratio of C.nutans were 168.32±29.49,13.83±0.86 and 6.84±0.66,respectively,while C.siamensis were 161.60±18.04,11.93±0.81and 3.37±0.31,respectively.The PCR amplification of ITS region generated the PGR product approximately 700 bp in size.There were 34 polymorphisms within the ITS region which consisted of 11 Indels and 23 nucleotide substitutions.The IC_(50)values of C.nutans extracted with n-hexane,dichloromethane and methanol against HSV-1 were(32.05±3.63)μg/mL,(44.50±2.66)μg/mL,(64.93±7.00)μg/mL,respectively where as those of C.siamensis were(60.00±11.61)μg/mL,(55.69+4.41)μg/mL,(37.39±5.85)μg/mL,respectively.Anti HSV-2 activity of n-hexane,dichloromethane and methanol C.nutans leaves extracts were(72.62±12.60)μg/mL,(65.19±21.45)μg/mL,(65.13±2.22)μg/mL,respectively where as those of C.siamensis were(46.52±4.08)μg/mL,(49.63±2.59)μg/mL,(72.64±6.52)μg/mL,respectively.Conclusions:The combination of macroscopic,microscopic and biomolecular method are able to authenticate these closely related plants and both of them have a potency to be an anti-HSV agent.

Herpes simplex virus-1 infection or Simian virus 40-mediated immortalization of corneal cells causes permanent translocation of NLRP3 to the nuclei

AIM: To investigate into the potential involvement of pyrin containing 3 gene(NLRP3), a member of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors with cytosolic pattern recognition, in the host defense of corneas against viruses.METHODS: The herpes viral keratitis model was utilized in BALB/c mice with inoculation of herpes simplex virus-1(HSV-1). Corneal tissues removed during therapy of patients with viral keratitis as well as a Simian vacuolating virus 40(SV40)-immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line were also examined.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect NLRP3 in these subjects, focusing on their distribution in tissue or cells. Western blot was used to measure the level of NLRP3 and another two related molecules in NLPR3 inflammasome, namely caspase-1 and IL-1β.RESULTS: The NLRP3 activation induced by HSV-1infection in corneas was accompanied with redistribution of NLRP3 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in both murine and human corneal epithelial cells. Furthermore,in the SV40-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells,NLRP3 was exclusively located in the nucleus, and treatment of the cells with high concentration of extracellular potassium(known as an inhibitor of NLRP3activation) effectively drove NLRP3 back to the cytoplasm as reflected by both immunohistochemistry and Western blot.· CONCLUSION: It is proposed that herpes virus infection activates and causes redistribution of NLRP3 to nuclei. Whether this NLRP3 translocation occurs with other viral infections and in other cell types merit further study.

HSV-1突变株M6感染人支气管上皮细胞后对巨噬细胞介导的免疫反应的影响

目的探究1型单纯疱疹病毒(herpes simplex virus type 1,HSV-1)突变株M6感染人支气管上皮细胞(16HBE细胞)后对巨噬细胞介导的免疫反应的影响。方法用HSV-1感染16HBE细胞分析培养液中细胞因子的变化;将巨噬细胞与被HSV-1毒株感染的16HBE细胞的上清液共培养并通过尾静脉回输至小鼠体内,分别在第1、3、7、28、56、90天对小鼠淋巴结细胞因子表达水平、脾脏T细胞比例变化、小鼠中和抗体表达水平以及特异性T细胞反应进行检测。结果16HBE细胞被HSV-1突变株感染后,上清液中募集和激活巨噬细胞相关的细胞因子均较高水平表达但略低于野毒株组;尾静脉回输实验后,突变株组小鼠淋巴结炎症因子、趋化因子和T细胞的比例随时间发生了不同的变化,并引起了弱于野毒株组的体液免疫和强于野毒株组的特异性T细胞免疫反应,且仅极少数与野毒株组具有显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论16HBE细胞被HSV-1突变株M6感染后能够释放募集和激活巨噬细胞的细胞因子,使巨噬细胞携带HSV-1突变株的特异性活化信息,激活了宿主的免疫系统,诱导了宿主的体液免疫和细胞免疫。

Asymptomatic seminal infection of herpes simplex virus:impact on male infertility

In more than half of infertile men, the cause of their infertility is unknown. Several studies revealed the role of viral infections in male infertility. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of herpes simplex virus-1 （HSV-1） and HSV-2 in semen from asymptomatic infertile male patients, and its association with altered semen parameters. A total of 70 semen samples were collected from infertile men who attended the Research and Clinical Center for Infertility in Yazd, Iran. Semen analysis and diagnostic real-time PCR using specific primers and probes for HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA were performed. Comparison of semen parameters between virally in- fected and non-infected samples were performed with independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test. Semen analysis showed that infertile men fell into two groups, the male factor group and the unexplained group. HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA was detected in 16 （22.9%） and 10 （14.3%） of 70 semen samples, respectively. All HSV-positive samples had abnormal semen parameters （the male factor group）. Although HSV infection was not associated with sperm motility and morphological defects, it was correlated with lower sperm count in the seminal fluid. The findings suggest that asymptomatic seminal infection of HSV plays an important role in male infertility by adversely af- fecting sperm count.

Contributions of neurotropic human herpesviruses herpes simplex virus 1 and human herpesvirus 6 to neurodegenerative disease pathology

Human herpesviruses （HVs） have developed ingenious mechanisms that enable them to traverse the defenses of the central nervous system （CNS）. The ability of HVs to enter a state of latency, a defining char- acteristic of this viral family, allows them to persist in the human host indefinitely. As such, HVs represent the most frequently detected pathogens in the brain. Under constant immune pressure, these infections are largely asymptomatic in healthy hosts. However, many neurotropic HVs have been directly connected with CNS pathology in the context of other stressors and genetic risk factors. In this review, we discuss the potential mechanisms by which neurotropic HVs contribute to neurodegenerative disease （NDD） patholo- gy by highlighting two prominent members of the HV family, herpes simplex virus 1 （HSV-1） and human herpesvirus 6 （HHV-6）. We （i） introduce the infectious pathways and replicative cycles of HSV-1 and HHV-6 and then （ii） review the clinical evidence supporting associations between these viruses and the NDDs Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） and multiple sclerosis （MS）, respectively. We then （iii） highlight and dis- cuss potential mechanisms by which these viruses exert negative effects on neurons and glia. Finally, we （iv） discuss how these viruses could interact with other disease-modifying factors to contribute to the initiation and/or progression of NDDs.