title: Dilated cardiomyopathy in retrovirally infected mice: a novel model for silent viral DCM?
abstract: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a clinically relevant disease that can occur independently or secondary to other diseases such as HIV infection and AIDS. To study this latter process, we used a model in which mice are infected with the LP-BM5 murine AIDS (MAIDS) retrovirus. Cardiac function of control and infected mice was determined through the in vivo analysis of left ventricular pressure-volume loops. Furthermore, the role of myocarditis was investigated through immunohistochemistry for T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage cardiac infiltrates and Northern blot analysis for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). End-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were significantly increased and ventricular stiffness was significantly decreased in infected mice, consistent with DCM; however, no staining for inflammatory cellular infiltrates or TNF-alpha and iNOS was seen. These data support the conclusion that the LP-BM5 HIV model virus causes DCM in the absence of chronic cardiac inflammation. These findings support MAIDS retroviral infection as a new model of idiopathic DCM in which myo-carditis does not occur.
authors.affiliation: Sarver Heart Center, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beischel
authors.forename: Douglas F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Qianli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ramon Tomas
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse