Fig 6. Administration of antimiR-24 inhibits HSV1 replication in vivo and enhances antiviral response in mouse brain.
1nmol of antimir-24 or scramble control for antimiR mixed with HSV1 (104 PFU) was injected into 6 weeks old male mice intracranially on the left side of cranium. PBS injected mice and only virus injected mice were used as control. The brains were isolated 4 days post infection and whole brain was homogenized. Fractions were separated for RNA quantification, western blotting and viral titer assay from homogenized brain. (A) miR-24 expression was analyzed in brain samples. (B) STING, IRF-3 phosphorylation and total IRF-3 levels were analyzed from scramble + HSV and antimiR-24 + HSV (104 PFU, day 4 post infection) administered mouse brains. (The numbers above the blot represent normalized densitometric analysis of STING normalized against actin) (C) RNA was isolated from brain tissue of infected mice (104 PFU, day 4) and expression of IFN-β mRNA was quantified. (D) Viral titer from brains of scramble or antimir-24 mixed with HSV1 (104 PFU, day 4) administered mice was determined. (A, C, D Mean ± SEM, N = 4). *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001.