Virus spread and initial pathological changes in the nervous system in genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in mice. A correlative immunohistochemical, light and electron microscopic study.
Mice were infected by the vaginal route with the MS strain of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Serial vaginal cultures were used to confirm infection and to select mice for this study. Two mice were killed by perfusion on days 2-6 post infection (p.i.) and lumbar and sacral cord with cauda were fixed and embedded for electron microscopy. Semithin Epon-sections were stained for viral antigen using a rabbit anti-HSV-2 antiserum and the Avidin-Biotin (ABC) method. Thin sections from antigen-positive blocks were examined by electron microscopy, and the number and types of infected cells detected by these two methods were compared. A good correlation was found between detection of infected cells by these methods. Infected cells included neurons of dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord, satellite cells of dorsal root ganglia, non-myelinating Schwann cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and arachnoidal cells. Infected cells were first detected in the cauda on day 3 p.i. and in the spinal cord on day 5 p.i. The temporal and spatial distribution of infected cells was consistent with neural spread to and within the CNS. The pathological lesions showed a good correlation with the distribution and number of infected cells and are probably due to a direct virus effect. The similar sensitivity of the Epon-ABC method to electron microscopy in detecting infected cells indicates that this method may have useful applications in both experimental and diagnostic work.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007120:Immunochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000382:microbiology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology