Loss of membrane excitability after herpes simplex virus infection in tissue-cultured nerve cells from adult mammals.
Dorsal root ganglion cells of adult guinea-pigs in vitro were inoculated with herpes simplex virus (HSV). Intracellular recording with a glass microelectrode revealed that HSV-infection caused a marked decrease in membrane excitability of the nerve cells within 24 h, which could be explained as a decrease in Na+ channel activity in the plasma membrane; while changes in other physiological properties (resting membrane potential, membrane resistance and capacitance) remain small. Viral antigens were detected in only 10-15% of the HSV-infected nerve cells. These indicate that the loss of the membrane excitability occurs much earlier than any other change in the HSV-infected nerve cells.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*