In vivo administration of TNF-alpha prevents EMC-M virus induced viral encephalitis.
EMC-M virus causes a monophasic paralytic syndrome characterized by encephalitic lesions in the brain and patchy demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord and nerve roots of BALB/c mice. Since the replication of EMC virus in vitro is inhibited by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha we have studied the effect of in vivo administration of this cytokine on the acute disease. Our studies show that periodic administration of TNF-alpha to animals infected with EMC-M reduces viral titers in the brain, and decreases the degree of clinical paralysis and the severity of the inflammatory lesions in the brain.
Sriram
S
S
Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405.
Topham
D J
DJ
Carroll
L
L
Shenoy
M
M
Adesina
A
A
Craighead
J E
JE
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010849:Picornaviridae / Q000187:drug effects; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha