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Analysis of JHM Central Nervous System Infections in Rats
David Parham, MD;
Allan Tereba, PhD;
Pierre J. Talbot, PhD;
Dennis P. Jackson, MSc;
Vincent L. Morris, PhD
Arch Neurol. 1986;43(7):702-708.
Abstract
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• Intracerebral inoculation of murine coronavirus JHM into 2- to 3-day-old Wistar Furth rats causes an acute encephalomyelitis, while inoculations at 10 days of age usually result in hind leg paralysis. To examine the distribution of viral antigens within this infected central nervous system (CNS) tissue, we used the avidinbiotin-peroxidase method to detect monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies bound to JHM structural proteins; in addition we used the Western blot technique to detect viral proteins. Our study demonstrated the following characteristics: (1) Infected neuronal and glial cells produced viral nucleocapsid and E2 glycoprotein. The synthesis of these viral structural proteins was not restricted to cells in any particular part of the central nervous system. (2) While JHM E2 proteins could be detected in individual cells of JHM-infected CNS tissue, the relative level of detectable E2 protein in the total CNS tissue of infected rats was reduced by more than 13-fold compared with JHM-infected tissue culture cells. (3) Hippocampus neuronal cells provided a sensitive indication of JHM infection. These cells invariably contained antigens in both acutely and chronically infected animals. (4) The distribution of cells containing viral antigens differed markedly for JHM-induced acute encephalitis and chronic demyelinating disease. Acutely infected brains had large lesions containing low levels of viral antigen scattered throughout the brain. One percent to ten percent of histologically normal cells in many parts of the brain contained viral antigens; in addition, more neuronal cells than glial cells were observed to be antigen-positive. The hippocampus appeared normal with hematoxylin-eosin staining; however, a scattered infection of neuronal cells was apparent. In chronically infected animals with demyelinating disease, focal lesions of predominantly glial cells occurred in the brain stem. The hippocampus generally had necrotic areas in the band of neuronal cells. Most of the neurons in this band were infected and infection of hippocampal glial cells was also seen.
Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Pathology (Dr Parham) and Virology and Molecular Biology (Dr Tereba), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis; Virology Research Center, Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec (Dr Talbot); and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London (Mr Jackson and Dr Morris).
Footnotes
Accepted for publication Jan 9, 1986.
Reprint requests to Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1 (Dr Morris).
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
Experimental Neuropathology of Chronic Demyelination Induced by a JHM Virus Variant (DS)
Erlich et al.
Arch Neurol 1987;44:839-842.
ABSTRACT
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