title: Effects of cyclosporine and cortisone on the pathogenesis of primary infection with cytomegalovirus in the guinea pig.
abstract: Effects of the immunosuppressive agents cyclosporine (CsA) and cortisone on the pathogenesis of primary infections with cytomegalovirus (CMV) were investigated in the guinea pig model. All animals received 10(4) 50% tissue culture infectious doses of virulent salivary gland-passaged guinea pig CMV (GPCMV) subcutaneously on day 0. Oral CsA (20 mg/kg per day) and/or subcutaneous cortisone (10 mg/kg per day) were administered until the animals were killed on day 14. Untreated controls developed lymphocytosis, and GPCMV was isolated from 19.4% of cocultivated tissues. Animals treated with CsA alone developed lymphopenia, and GPCMV was isolated from 53% of their tissues, including 16 of 16 lungs. Histopathology showed widespread viral inclusions and minimal inflammatory response to GPCMV in CsA-treated animals. Guinea pigs treated with either cortisone or CsA/cortisone did not develop lymphopenia, and their rates of isolation of GPCMV were significantly lower than those of CsA-treated animals.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003348:Cortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006400:Hematocrit; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D014766:Viremia / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003348:Cortisone