Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) causes lymphocyte-proliferative diseases, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, other B and T cell lymphomas. Recently the connection between EBV and autoimmunity diseases has been demonstrated. In recent years, several studies have explored the concept that the compounds that have anti-herpetic activity might be able to influence the cell cycle of infected cells, by eliminating them from the body. However, cell cycle regulation during EBV-infection and the effect of anti-EBV drugs have received only limited attention.

The aim of our work was to study derivatives of triazole (G14, G20, G22, and G24) as potential antiherpetic agent and their effect on the cell cycle of lymphoblastoid cell lines B95-8. According to PCR, anti-EBV activity was observed only for compounds G14 and G22, EC50 values were 27 and 100µg/ml. The В95-8 cells treated with all studied compounds were analyzed with the help of flow cytometry (cells were stained with propidium iodide). It was observed an induction of apoptosis in the presence of G22 at 700µg/ml; the proportion of apoptotic cells reached almost 40%. Other compounds G14 and G24 led to the switch of cells from the Sub G0 phase of the cell cycle to the G1 phase and subsequent activation of the S-phase. These compounds may play an important role as potential inducers of EBV lytic infection; with the addition of antiherpesvirus drugs, they could be therapeutically beneficial for EBV-associated tumors.