title: Synaptic and dendritic pathology in murine retroviral encephalitis.
abstract: Central nervous system (CNS) damage occurs during retroviral infection in both man and animals. As a model of human disease, we studied the distribution and extent of CNS damage during retroviral infection with two molecularly cloned, neurotropic murine leukemia viruses. Both viruses mediate a spongiform encephalopathy involving predominantly the brainstem and spinal cord. During the course of disease, immune reactivity for synaptophysin (SYN) (to identify presynaptic elements) and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) (to identify postsynaptic elements) were quantified using confocal laser microscopy. Immunostaining of SYN in the cerebral cortex (an area not exhibiting spongiform lesions) was similar in viral infected and age-matched control mice. However, compared to age matched controls, SYN staining in the brainstem (an area exhibiting spongiform lesions) of viral infected mice progressively declined during the course of disease. Quantitative analysis showed greater reduction of MAP-2 immunostaining in viral-infected mice compared to age-matched controls. In infected mice, both regions with and without spongiform lesions showed diminished MAP-2 staining. Widely distributed microscopic vacuolation of dendritic processes was observed in confocal preparations. These findings suggest primary dendritic damage in murine retroviral infection of the CNS similar to what has been described in human immunodeficiency virus-1 encephalitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0612.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nagra
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masliah
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wiley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus; D012016:Reference Values; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000032:analysis; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016708:Synaptophysin