Reovirus delays diabetes onset but does not prevent insulitis in nonobese diabetic mice.
Mice infected with reovirus develop abnormalities in glucose homeostasis. Reovirus strain type 3 Abney (T3A) was capable of systemic infection of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, an experimental model of autoimmune diabetes. Reovirus antigen was detected in pancreatic islets of T3A-infected mice, and primary cultures of pancreatic islets from NOD mice supported T3A growth. Significantly fewer T3A-infected animals compared to uninfected controls developed diabetes. However, despite the alteration in diabetes penetrance, insulitis was evident in T3A-infected mice. These results suggest that viral infection of NOD mice alters autoimmune responses to beta-cell antigens and thereby delays development of diabetes.
Wetzel
J Denise
JD
Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
Barton
Erik S
ES
Chappell
James D
JD
Baer
Geoffrey S
GS
Mochow-Grundy
Michelle
M
Rodgers
Steven E
SE
Shyr
Yu
Y
Powers
Alvin C
AC
Thomas
James W
JW
Dermody
Terence S
TS
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D012089:Mammalian orthoreovirus 3 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD / Q000821:virology; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology