title: Liver disease in young rabbits infected by calicivirus through nasal and oral routes.
abstract: Calicivirus infection causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) that kills more than 90% of adult animals, whereas young rabbits are naturally resistant to this viral disease. It has been proposed that the different response of adult and young rabbits to calicivirus infection is due to absence of viral receptors in respiratory and digestive systems of young animals. We have searched for liver disease in 4-week-old rabbits inoculated with a calicivirus suspension by intranasal and oral routes. These young rabbits showed cell damage and mononuclear infiltration of the liver. The hepatic lesions were associated with mild to moderate increase in circulating transaminases. We conclude that the previously reported reduction of viral receptors in the epithelium of respiratory and digestive systems of young rabbits does not inhibit calicivirus from inducing liver disease in these hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, ICBAS (Abel Salazar Institute for Biomedical Sciences) and UMIB (Unit for Multidisciplinary for Biomedical Research), University of Porto, Largo Professor Abel Salazar, 2, Porto 4099-003, Portugal. pferreir@icbas.up.pt
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa-e-Silva
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Aguas
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017929:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface