title: Persistence of infectious herpes simplex virus type 2 in the nervous system in mice after antiviral chemotherapy.
abstract: Young adult mice were inoculated with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in the ear pinna. A relatively severe infection resulted, and 45% of the mice died by 11 days postinfection. Therapy at 1 mg/ml by means of the drinking water with either famciclovir for periods of 5 or 10 days or valaciclovir for 5, 10, 15, or 20 days decreased clinical signs and reduced mortality to 15% or less. Throughout a period of 27 days, mice were tested daily for the presence of infectious virus in the ear pinna, brain stem, and ipsilateral trigeminal ganglia. Virus was cleared from these tissues in surviving, untreated animals by 12 days postinfection, and no infectious virus was detected subsequently in any tissue. Furthermore, no infectious virus was detected after day 9 in mice that had been treated with famciclovir. In mice that had received valaciclovir therapy, however, infectious virus was repeatedly detected in the trigeminal ganglia and brain stem tissue samples up to 7 days after treatment was discontinued. To date, no specific mechanism to account for these results has been discovered; however, possible mechanisms for the persistence of potentially infectious virus in neural tissue of treated mice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Veterinary Science, Cambridge University Veterinary School, Cambridge CB3 0ES, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Thackray
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000821:virology*; D004423:Ear / Q000821:virology; D000077595:Famciclovir; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012008:Recurrence; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000821:virology*; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D014633:Valine; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D000077595:Famciclovir; D000212:Acyclovir