Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an economically damaging swine herpesvirus infecting diverse hosts. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is crucial for many viruses, including PRV. This study investigated the antiviral potential and mechanisms of dihydromyricetin (DHM), a compound with known antiviral activity, against PRV infection in the brains of Jiangkou Radish Piglets. PRV-infected piglets were treated with DHM. Brain analysis showed DHM reduced PRV-induced pathological damage, specifically mitigating mitochondrial and synaptic injury. Transcriptome sequencing identified 600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 328 upregulated, 272 downregulated) in DHM-treated vs. untreated infected brains. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment linked these DEGs to glutathione metabolism, L-glutamate transport, synapse function, and neurotransmitter processing, suggesting that DHM may combats oxidative stress and regulates neuronal communication.  Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis categorized DEGs into 30 pathways. Key modulated pathways included glutathione metabolism, the Wnt signaling pathway, and the synaptic vesicle cycle, indicating potential antiviral mechanisms. Validation confirmed significant expression changes in key Wnt pathway genes (β-catenin, GSK3β, c-myc), supporting the transcriptome results. The study demonstrates that DHM may exerts antiviral effects against neurotropic PRV in piglet brains by alleviating neuronal damage and modulating critical biological processes and signaling pathways, particularly such as the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, however, there is the need for further validation studiesoffering insights for PRV therapy.

To Cite This Article: Sun W, Zhou F, Fan Y, Zhu N, Deng S, Wang Q, Okyere SK and Liu S, 2026. Transcriptomics reveal the potential antiviral mechanism of dihydromyricetin in the brains of jiangkou radish piglets challenged with pseudorabies virus. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.001