TUDCA Inhibits HSV‐1 Replication by Modulating Unfolded Protein Response Pathway

: Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an endogenous bile acid, was used to protect liver function through anti-apoptosis or reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress). Previous studies showed that ER stress was modulated by HSV-1 infection to facilitate viral replication. Here, we investigated the effect of TUDCA on HSV-1 infection of HEC-1-A cells and showed that both replication and multiplication of the virus were inhibited by TUDCA in a dose dependent manner. Unfolded protein response (UPR) was induced in order to deliver stress signals from ER to nucleus. We found that TUDCA alleviated ATF6 branch inhibition, partially enhanced PERK pathway activation and repressed IRE1α arm activation significantly in infected cells. The findings of this study suggest that TUDCA inhibits HSV-1 replication through ER stress pathway, which may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for HSV-1 infection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.