title: Experimental reactivation of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) by means of corticosteroids in an intranasal rabbit model.
abstract: Intranasal inoculation of the rabbit was shown to be a viable alternative to eye inoculation as a model to study latency and reactivation of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1). In four different experiments, separate groups of rabbits were intranasally inoculated with BHV-1. In two experiments some rabbits were inoculated instead with a TK-defective (TK-) mutant strain of BHV-1. The development of a specific antibody response was monitored by both virus neutralization and ELISA assays. Cell-mediated immunity was measured by means of a skin test. Many weeks after virus inoculation the rabbits were treated with corticosteroid. Antibody formation after treatment was markedly different in wild type and in TK- virus inoculated groups. In the former, virus reactivation was suggested by a sudden rise in serum antibody levels with kinetics closely resembling those reported in infected calves following corticosteroid administration, whereas in the case of the TK- group no significant increase in antibody activity was measured. Histopathological changes in trigeminal ganglia also indicated reactivation of virus in the wild-type virus infected animals. Further evidence for reactivation was obtained by virus isolation from nasal swabs after corticosteroid treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, U.K.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000382:microbiology; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000172:deficiency; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000382:microbiology; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D003907:Dexamethasone; D013937:Thymidine Kinase