title: Effect of rotavirus infection on small gut pathophysiology in a mouse model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of rotavirus infection on amino acid uptake in the small intestine in an experimental mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infant mice (7-8 days of age) were orally infected with the EB serotype 3 strain of rotavirus and animals (both infected and control) were killed on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 post inoculation (PI) after recording their bodyweights. Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), leucine amino peptidase (LAP), glutathione (GSH) and leucine amino acid uptake in the jejunum and ileum were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infected animals showed significant reduction in their bodyweights and intestinal lengths on the third day PI compared with controls. Leucine amino peptidase, GGT, GSH and leucine uptake were significantly reduced in the ileum on the third and fifth day PI compared with controls while uptake in the jejunum was only reduced on third day PI. The LAP, GGTP, GSH and leucine uptake attained normal levels on the seventh day when diarrhoea stopped. Histology showed damage to the villi in the jejunum and prominent cytoplasmic vacuolation in the ileum of infected animals on the third and fifth day PI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rotavirus affects amino acid uptake in the small intestine at the time of peak infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Katyal
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vaiphei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohja
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase; D005978:Glutathione; D007930:Leucine