title: Feline immunodeficiency virus infection: a valuable model to study HIV-1 associated encephalitis.
abstract: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, is a neurotropic lentivirus and is associated with neuropathology in natural and experimental infections. FIV enters the brain early following experimental infection, and virus has been proposed to enter the brain via the blood-brain barrier and blood-CSF barrier, within infected lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages. However the entry of cell-free virus or the direct infection of brain endothelial cells and astrocytes of the blood-brain barrier may also contribute to CNS infection. This review explores the role played by the FIV model in the elucidation of mechanism of lentiviral entry to the brain and viral interactions with the CNS, particularly in relation to lymphotropic lentiviruses.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. nicola.fletcher@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Nicola F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brayden
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brankin
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Callanan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000472:pathogenicity*