Infection of reovirus type 3 in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)--lesions in pancreas and brain.
Gerbils were inoculated with reovirus type 3 (Abney strain), and the pancreas, brain and other organs histopathologically evaluated. Male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) aged 5-10 days (newborn, 9 animals), 4 weeks (juvenile, 5 animals), and 12 weeks (adult, 5 animals) were used. Gerbils inoculated intraperitoneally with the virus were sacrificed 3, 5, 7, or 10 days later. Tissues were observed by light and electron microscopy. The pancreas of newborns showed inflammatory edema with infiltrates of neutrophilis and mononuclear round cells, degranulation of acinar cells and dissociation of lobules and acini with necrosis at 3 days or later after inoculation but not degeneration of pancreatic islets. Brains of newborns had necrosis of neurons and aggregation of microglial cells in the brain stem and cerebral hemisphere. Azurophilic inclusion bodies were seen in the cytoplasm of some neurons. In electron micrographs, virus particles (60-80 nm in diameter) were observed around the nucleus of neurons in the brain stem. No changes were observed in the juvenile and adult gerbils.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan.
M
M
Yukawa
T
T
Takeuchi
K
K
Mochizuki
Y
Y
Inaba
H
H
Kamata
T
T
Onodera
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D012089:Mammalian orthoreovirus 3; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*