Effect of glycyrrhizin in children with liver dysfunction associated with cytomegalovirus infection.

Glycyrrhizin (GL) has an inhibitory effect on several viruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). In addition, some therapeutic and prophylactic effects on chronic active viral hepatitis have been claimed for GL. In this study, 0.2% GL dissolved in saline (2 mg/ml GL), supplemented with 2% glycine and 0.1% cysteine (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C, SNMC) was administered intravenously in a dose of 50 ml/day for a period of more than one week to three infants with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection who exhibited abnormal liver function or hepatomegaly. Liver function had become normal at the end of the course of SNMC. These findings suggest that GL might have therapeutic effects on liver dysfunction associated with CMV infections.