Antiviral Activity of Hemocyanin Rapana venosa and Its Isoforms Against Epstein-Barr Virus

The native molecule of Rapana venosa hemocyanin (RvH) consists of two structural subunits RvH1 and RvH2 and each of them contains 8 functional units with different carbohydrate content. In this study, the antiviral effect of the native molecule of RvH and its isoforms against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is presented. This virus is the etiologic agent of acute form of the disease infectious mononucleosis. The persistence of the virus in the human organism leads to the development of lymphoproliferative disease, the formation of various carcinomas and to the affection of the peripheral and central nervous system. Therefore, the antiviral activity against Epstein-Barr virus was studied in vitro by a PCR method. We have shown that all preparations of hemocyanin RvH have low toxicity; CC was about 700μg/ml. The antiviral activity was determined in 50 preparations of a concentrations range: 1, 10 and 100 μg/ml. The analysis of the obtained data allowed to determine the concentration, oppressing the replication of the virus of about 50 % in reducing the number of genomic equivalents of EBV DNA on a cell. ID for the hemocyanin RvH was determined up to 1 μg/ml. At the 50 same time the FU RvH1-a inhibited the EBV at concentrations of 10 and 100 ìg/ml, what is in contrast to native RvH. A similar effect was observed for RvH2 and its functional unit RvH2-e. For the investigated hemocyanins it was found that they have low toxicity and their effective doses were determined. Proceeding from the index of selectivity, which is 700 for hemocyanins isolated from R. venosa, we can conclude about their availability for future research as drugs for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus.