title: Histological lesions in vascular tissues of bovine herpes virus type 4-infected rabbits.
abstract: The gamma-herpes virus bovine herpes virus type 4 (BoHV-4) is distributed worldwide in cattle populations with unknown pathogenicity. Bovine endothelial cells were recently shown to be susceptible to BoHV-4 infection in vitro and this virus accelerated the cholesterol-induced atherosclerotic process in rabbits. In this study, the in vivo effect of BoHV-4 on cardiovascular tissue was investigated by intravenous infection of rabbits fed a cholesterol free diet. Inflammatory lesions of vascular tissue in aortic and valvular endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells were detected by H&E staining, PCR, IF, EM immunohistochemistry, while virus isolation was used to detect virus particles. Acute and chronic vasculitis, signs of chronic endocarditis, with mononuclear cell accumulation and a fresh thrombus was found. Herpes viruses have already been thought to initiate cardio-vascular disorders, now this paper shows that a bovine gamma-herpes virus could also be a causative agent of vascular lesions in mammals fed a normal diet. BoHV-4-infection of rabbits could serve as a useful animal model for research into virus-induced human cardio-vascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, H-1581 Budapest, Hungary. laci@novell.vmri.hu
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Egyed
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000662:veterinary; D006321:Heart / Q000821:virology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D026021:Herpesvirus 4, Bovine / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone