HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is a lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.
Soyasaponin II 是具有抗病毒活性的皂苷。Soyasaponin II 抑制 HSV-1，HCMV，流感病毒和 HIV-1 的复制。Soyasaponin II 对 HSV-1 复制显示出有效的抑制作用。Soyasaponin II 作为 YB-1 磷酸化和 NLRP3 炎性小体引发的抑制剂，可保护小鼠免受 LPS/GalN 诱导的急性肝衰竭。
