Rb1 exerts anti-inflammatory effects and suppresses BoHV-1 replication by activating Caspase-3 and regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND: Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) is the pathogen causing infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), which induces severe respiratory and reproductive system lesions in cattle, resulting in intense inflammation and significant economic losses. Ginsenoside Rb1, as the main active component of ginseng, has significant anti-inflammatory activity and shows potential in immune regulation. However, it remains unclear whether Rb1 is involved in regulating the mechanism of BoHV-1-mediated inflammatory response. Based on this, this study hypothesizes that Rb1 exerts immunomodulatory and other effects during infection, which will be verified through in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS: Therefore, this study employs network pharmacology and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis to screen and identify disease-related targets and physiological processes associated with ginseng's active components. Molecular docking and CCK-8 assays determine the affinity and mode of action between key ginseng compounds and their targets. To verify the regulatory effects of key active substances on immune-related processes in infected cells as well as bovine and rabbit animal models through in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: This study identified active components of ginseng and targets associated with BoHV-1; analyzed core targets and related pathways; observed strong affinity between Rb1 and core targets; clarified BoHV-1's regulatory effects on core targets such as Caspase-3; Rb1 suppresses the upregulation of inflammatory mediators mediated by NF-κB overexpression by promoting Caspase-3 activation during the inflammatory peak, and enhances apoptosis (about 70%) to reduce viral titers (about 1 time). The therapeutic effects of Rb1 were also validated in in vivo experiments. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings indicate that Rb1 plays a crucial role in regulating the inflammatory response and viral replication during BoHV-1 infection, suggesting that Rb1 may represent a novel therapeutic approach for clinical applications involving BoHV-1.