Publication date: Aug 01, 2026
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes severe enteric disease in swine and represents a substantial economic threat to the global swine industry. Although vaccines are available, effective antiviral strategies against PEDV remain limited. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a lysosomotropic agent with reported antiviral and immunomodulatory properties; however, its effects on PEDV infection have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activity of HCQ against PEDV in vitro and examined its effects on distinct stages of the viral life cycle and host inflammatory signaling. HCQ significantly reduced PEDV replication, viral protein expression, and infectious virus production, as demonstrated by RT-qPCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence analysis, and plaque assays. Time-of-addition experiments revealed that HCQ exerted minimal effects on virus attachment but effectively inhibited viral internalization, replication, and release. Moreover, HCQ markedly suppressed PEDV-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, and attenuated activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-_705B) signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that HCQ exerts dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects against PEDV infection in vitro, highlighting its potential as a host-targeted antiviral strategy.
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| drug | DRUGBANK | Hydroxychloroquine |
| disease | MESH | diarrhea |
| disease | MESH | virus infection |
| disease | MESH | inflammation |
| disease | MESH | infection |
| pathway | KEGG | Viral life cycle |
| pathway | REACTOME | Release |
| disease | MESH | Coronavirus Infections |
| pathway | REACTOME | Signal Transduction |
| disease | MESH | Swine Diseases |