Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41933591›Full record

ArticleVirologica Sinica2026

Cepharanthine hydrochloride alleviates herpesvirus encephalitis by inhibiting Nrf2 degradation.

Qiongzhen Zeng, Weixiangmin Zou, Jiaqi Wu, Menghe Li, Zexu Wang, Caiwenjie La, Cuifang Ye, Zhe Ren, Yifei Wang, Kai Zheng

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Virologica Sinica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Qiongzhen ZengDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China.
Weixiangmin ZouDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Jiaqi WuDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Menghe LiDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Zexu WangDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Caiwenjie LaDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Cuifang YeDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Zhe RenDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: rz62@163.com.
Yifei WangDepartment of Cell Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Biomedicine, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, Key Laboratory of Innovative Technology Research on Natural Products and Cosmetics Raw Materials, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: twang-yf@163.com.
Kai ZhengSchool of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China. Electronic address: zhengk@szu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection can induce herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), a life-threatening neurological disorder characterized by active viral replication within the central nervous system accompanied by excessive neuroinflammatory responses. Cepharanthine hydrochloride (CH) is a natural bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid with diverse pharmacological activities. CH was evaluated for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities against HSV-1 infection. In microglia, CH markedly inhibited viral replication and suppressed STING-NF-κB signaling, thereby reducing HSV-1-associated neuroinflammation. During HSV-1 infection, CH binds to Nrf2, disrupting Keap1-Nrf2 interaction and subsequent ubiquitination. This hindered Nrf2 degradation and attenuated STING activation. In an HSE mouse model, CH significantly reduced viral loads in brain tissue, improved survival rates, prevented weight loss, and alleviated neurological symptoms. Furthermore, CH promoted the accumulation of Nrf2 and inhibited the STING-NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo. Collectively, these results indicate that CH represents a potential antiviral strategy for HSE.

Indexed as

Antiviral AgentsBenzylisoquinolinesEncephalitis, Herpes SimplexHerpesvirus 1, HumanNF-E2-Related Factor 2AnimalsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsBenzodioxolescGAS-STING Signaling PathwayDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansKelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1Membrane ProteinsMiceMicrogliaAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAntiviral AgentsBenzodioxolesBenzylisoquinolinescepharanthineKeap1 protein, mouseKelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1Membrane ProteinsNfe2l2 protein, mouseNF-E2-Related Factor 2NF-kappa BSting1 protein, mouseSTING ProteinCepharanthine hydrochloride (CH)Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE)NeuroinflammationNrf2STING-NF-κB pathway

Identifiers

PMID41933591
PMCPMC13215956

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.