Age-dependent susceptibility in mumps-associated hydrocephalus: neuropathologic features and brain barriers.
Central nervous system susceptibility to viral infection is often age dependent for unclear reasons. In this study, we examined the age-dependent susceptibility of the brain in mumps virus-induced hydrocephalus in hamsters, and evaluated the relationship between neuropathologic features and brain barriers using glial fibrillary acidic protein and zonula occludentes 1 (ZO-1) immunohistochemistry. In a group intracerebrally inoculated with mumps virus at 2 days of age, pathologic findings such as periventricular edema, ependymal cell loss, and ventricular dilation were more prominent and the distribution of mumps virus antigen was wider than in a group inoculated at 30 days of age. ZO-1-immunoreactive tight junctions in the hydrocephalic brains of the 2-day group were severely damaged in the choroid plexus and ependyma, and in white matter capillaries as early as 3 days after inoculation. These changes were not apparent in the hydrocephalic brains of the 30-day group. Prominent cortical dissemination of virus in the 2-day group was related to underdeveloped perivascular glial foot processes in brain parenchyma. Periventricular edema in the 2-day group was linked to ependymal and blood-brain barrier tight-junction permeability. Our results suggest that tight junctions in the early postnatal period are more immature and fragile than in the adult. We concluded that brain susceptibility in mumps virus-induced hydrocephalus is intimately related to the maturity of brain barriers.
Uno
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, Shiga University of Medical Science, Ohtsu, Japan.
Takano
T
T
Yamano
T
T
Shimada
M
M
D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009107:Mumps / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D009109:Mumps virus; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007797:Laminin