Corilagin Protects Against HSV1 Encephalitis Through Inhibiting the TLR2 Signaling Pathways In Vivo and In Vitro

In this study, we tried to explore the molecular mechanism that Corilagin protected against herpes simplex virus-1 encephalitis through inhibiting the TLR2 signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro. As a result, Corilagin significantly prevented increase in the levels of TLR2 and its downstream mediators following Malp2 or HSV-1 challenge. On the other hand, in spite of TLR2 knockdown, Corilagin could still significantly suppress the expression of P38 and NEMO, phosphor-P38, and nuclear factor kappa B. The mRNA and protein expression of TLR2 and its downstream mediators in the brain tissue were also significantly lowered in mice treated with Corilagin. In addition, Corilagin inhibited expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 protein. In conclusion, Corilagin shows the potential to protect against HSV-1-induced encephalitis, and the beneficial effects may be mediated by inhibiting TLR2 signaling pathways.