engleski

MCMV-INDUCED ENCEPHALITIS IN NEWBORN MICE

Congenital infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may result in wide spread encephalitis and developmental abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS). Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is frequently used model to study the pathogenesis of HCMV infection. We have recently established a murine model of CMV encephalitis to study the pathogenesis of HCMV infection in the developing brain. Newborn BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally infected with MCMV, sacrificed at various days post infection (p.i.), and their brains were processed for immunohistochemistry. Results revealed infected cells associated with pathohistological lesions scattered throughout the brain parenchyma. Meningeal mononuclear cell infiltration, perivascular cuffing and nodular gliosis were detected as early as day 7 p.i.. Pathohistological lesions tend to increase in severity and remained pronounced even 20 days p.i., a time when infectious virus was undetectable in the brain. Inflammatory lesions within the brain parenchyma comprised predominantly CD8+ T-lymphocytes. In addition, activated microglia was detected within the sites of infection, as well as enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines starting from day 8 p.i.. We postulated that pathohistological lesions and developmental abnormalities of infected brain could be a consequence of either direct viral pathogenesis or immune response toward viral antigens and damaged brain cells.

MCMV

nije evidentirano