Oseltamivir, a widely used anti-influenza drug, inhibits virus neuraminidase. A mammalian homologue of this enzyme is expressed in the brain, yet the effect of oseltamivir on central neurons is largely unknown. Patch-clamp recordings ex vivo revealed that oseltamivir enhanced spike synchronization between hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells. Time-lapse multineuron calcium imaging revealed that osel...

In this study, twelve neuraminidase (NA) inhibitory compounds 1-12 were isolated from heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan on the basis of their biological activities against three types of viral NAs. Of isolated homoisoflavonoids, sappanone A (2) showed the most potent NAs inhibitory activities with IC(50) values of 0.7 µM [H1N1], 1.1 µM [H3N2], and 1.0 µM [H9N2], respectively, whereas saturated ho...

Pandemic (H1N1) influenza poses an imminent threat. Nations have stockpiled inhibitors of the influenza protein neuraminidase in hopes of protecting their citizens, but drug-resistant strains have already emerged, and novel therapeutics are urgently needed. In the current work, the computer program AutoGrow is used to generate novel predicted neuraminidase inhibitors. Given the great flexibilit...

The genes coding for the surface glycoproteins hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) of the peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and hemagglutinin (H) of rinderpest virus (RPV) were cloned in a cytomagalovirus promoter driven expression vector and expressed transiently in mammalian cells. The protein expression was apparent 24 h after transfection and the expressed proteins were detected at the c...

Neuraminidase-inhibiting (NAi) antibodies have been reported to be an independent correlate of protection from influenza disease, but the NAi antibody response to influenza vaccination has never been assessed in chronically ill or immunocompromised participants. Using an enzyme-linked lectin assay, we demonstrated that 2 immunizations with a Vero cell culture-derived, whole-virus H5N1 A/Vietnam...

When influenza virus was mixed with antisera to its surface subunits before inoculation of cell cultures, anti-hemagglutinin antibodies neutralized infectivity but anti-neuraminidase did not. When the antisera were added after infection of cell cultures, anti-hemagglutinin and anti-neuraminidase antibodies were equally effective in reducing virus titers in culture fluids. Decreased virus titers...

Lectins are potentially useful tools in histopathology for the identification of carbohydrates and distinguishing cells according to their type, differentiation or function. Conjugated to fluorescent or enzyme labels, lectins are simple to use on fresh tissue but fixation and processing sequesters glycoconjugates and dissolves out fat-linked sugars. We describe here the use of labelled antibodi...

We examined the effect of experimental meningeal infection with a neuraminidase-producing strain of Diplococcus pneumoniae on the N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) content of canine cerebral cortical gray matter. The Warren thiobarbituric acid assay for NANA was used. There was no significant difference between the free and bound NANA levels of the tissue from control animals and from those with m...

background and aims: each year, the influenza virus causes moderate to severe infections with a high prevalence throughout the world. accordingly, an influenza vaccine that ensures protection with only a single dose would be a much more cost effective approach to influenza prophylaxis. generation of influenza non-replicating virus-like particles (vlp) in baculoviral expression system is an attr...

In this article, we present evidence that sialic acid-containing surface components play a role in the regulation of erythropoiesis. A 1-hr exposure of mouse bone marrow cells to high concentrations of neuraminidase reduced erythroid colony formation. Coculture of 10(6) untreated thymocytes with neuraminidase-treated bone marrow cells restored erythroid colony growth. Neuraminidase-treated thym...