BHT’s effect on the Herpes Simplex Virus?
Josh G asked:
I have heard before that BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) an antioxidant food additive, can be used to benefit those with those infected with HSV. Is it just another form of treatment or can it be used as an actual cure?? Any information is helpful.
Thanks for the in depth answer, coen_evs. But I am specifically questioning the effect of BHT, not other forms of treatment.
I have heard before that BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) an antioxidant food additive, can be used to benefit those with those infected with HSV. Is it just another form of treatment or can it be used as an actual cure?? Any information is helpful.
Thanks for the in depth answer, coen_evs. But I am specifically questioning the effect of BHT, not other forms of treatment.
there is no cure!
Acyclovir, a synthetic nucleoside analogue active against herpesviruses, it is the best known treatment for HSV, or HZV.
Acyclovir is a synthetic purine nucleoside analogue with in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1), 2 (HSV-2), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
The inhibitory activity of acyclovir is highly selective due to its affinity for the enzyme thymidine kinase (TK) encoded by HSV and VZV. This viral enzyme converts acyclovir into acyclovir monophosphate, a nucleotide analogue. The monophosphate is further converted into diphosphate by cellular guanylate kinase and into triphosphate by a number of cellular enzymes. In vitro, acyclovir triphosphate stops replication of herpes viral DNA. This is accomplished in 3 ways: 1) competitive inhibition of viral DNA polymerase, 2) incorporation into and termination of the growing viral DNA chain, and 3) inactivation of the viral DNA polymerase. The greater antiviral activity of acyclovir against HSV compared to VZV is due to its more efficient phosphorylation by the viral TK
The quantitative relationship between the in vitro susceptibility of herpes viruses to antivirals and the clinical response to therapy has not been established in humans, and virus sensitivity testing has not been standardized. Sensitivity testing results, expressed as the concentration of drug required to inhibit by 50% the growth of virus in cell culture (IC50), vary greatly depending upon a number of factors. Using plaque-reduction assays, the IC50 against herpes simplex virus isolates ranges from 0.02 to 13.5 mcg/mL for HSV-1 and from 0.01 to 9.9 mcg/mL for HSV-2. The IC50 for acyclovir against most laboratory strains and clinical isolates of VZV ranges from 0.12 to 10.8 mcg/mL. Acyclovir also demonstrates activity against the Oka vaccine strain of VZV with a mean IC50 of 1.35 mcg/mL
You can get Acyclovir with a prescription. Brand name is Zovirax.