Verapamil HCl demonstrates antiviral activity against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by regulating Ca <sup>2+</sup> influx and promoting type I interferon production
Verapamil HCl is known to suppress infections caused by several viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, bovine herpesvirus 1, and SARS-CoV-2. However, the potential anti-PRRSV mechanisms of Verapamil HCl remain unknown. This study demonstrates that Verapamil HCl exerts anti-PRRSV effects by attenuating the Ca<sup>2+</sup> imbalance induced by PRRSV. Furthermore, Verapamil HCl can promote interferon-mediated antiviral responses and reduce pro-inflammatory factor production during PRRSV infection via p38/Nrf2/Keap-1/HO-1 axis activation. These findings indicate that Verapamil HCl could be a very effective treatment agent against PRRSV.
Authors
- Y. Zhang
- Ming Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3458-7335)
- Qinghai Ren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4788-6983)
- Jiaqiang Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8289-7853)
- Shujing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3599-3033)
- Yubao Li
- Tongtong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0408-7556)
- Yulin Xu
- Liangliang Li
- Jiamin Fan
- Siding Liu
- Li Chen
- Wenjing Chen
Institutions
- Liaocheng University (CN)
- Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
- Shandong Agricultural University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microbiology Spectrum
- Published
- 2026-03-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03280-25
- Primary Topic
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00