Resveratrol promotes HSV-2 replication by increasing histone acetylation and activating NF-κB.

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in many plant species that has broad therapeutic benefits. Here, we investigated the effects of resveratrol on the replication of HSV-2. We found that resveratrol accelerated replication of HSV-2 and increased release of progeny virion. A time-of-addition study suggested that resveratrol worked primarily in the early stage of viral infection. Resveratrol regulated HSV-2 infection by increasing histone acetylation and activating NF-κB. In addition, inhibition of CDK9 activity restrained the promoting effect of resveratrol on HSV-2 infection. Altogether, our experiments revealed the regulatory effect of resveratrol and its mechanism of action on HSV-2 replication.