Antiviral treatments reduce severity of diabetes in Ljungan virus-infected CD-1 mice and delay onset in diabetes-prone BB rats.
The effects of LV in two different species, CD-1 mice, without a genetic disposition for diabetes, and BB rats prone to T1D were examined. Male CD-1 mice that had been exposed to LV in utero developed a type 2-like diabetes with increased blood glucose, insulin levels and epididymal fat at the age of 10-15 weeks. Combination therapy including LV-antiserum and an antiviral drug, Pleconaril, significantly reduced the levels of blood glucose and insulin and the amount of abdominal fat. In BB rats, LV has been found in both prediabetic- and diabetic diabetes-prone rats, as well as in diabetes-resistant rats. To evaluate whether the presence of LV has any influence on the onset of T1D, prediabetic BB rats were treated with an antiserum against LV or a combination of the antiviral drugs Pleconaril and Ribavirin. In the group treated with antiviral drugs, the onset was significantly delayed. These results indicate that the presence of LV can be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes in these animal models.
The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76, Uppsala, Sweden.
Rebecka
R
Holmberg
William
W
Klitz
Martin
M
Blixt
Per-Olof
PO
Berggren
Lisa
L
Juntti-Berggren
Bo
B
Niklasson
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D010069:Oxadiazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010080:Oxazoles; D030061:Parechovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010069:Oxadiazoles; D010080:Oxazoles; D012254:Ribavirin; C115201:pleconaril