Inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation by the flavonoid apigenin

Background Lytic reactivation of EBV has been reported to play an important role in human diseases, including NPC carcinogenesis. Inhibition of EBV reactivation is considered to be of great benefit in the treatment of virus-associated diseases. For this purpose, we screened for inhibitory compounds and found that apigenin, a flavonoid, seemed to have the ability to inhibit EBV reactivation. Methods We performed western blotting, immunofluorescence and luciferase analyses to determine whether apigenin has anti-EBV activity. Results Apigenin inhibited expression of the EBV lytic proteins, Zta, Rta, EAD and DNase in epithelial and B cells. It also reduced the number of EBV-reactivating cells detectable by immunofluorescence analysis. In addition, apigenin has been found to reduce dramatically the production of EBV virions. Luciferase reporter analysis was performed to determine the mechanism by which apigenin inhibits EBV reactivation: apigenin suppressed the activity of the immediate-early (IE) gene Zta and Rta promoters, suggesting it can block initiation of the EBV lytic cycle. Conclusion Taken together, apigenin inhibits EBV reactivation by suppressing the promoter activities of two viral IE genes, suggesting apigenin is a potential dietary compound for prevention of EBV reactivation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12929-016-0313-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.