title: Effects of murine norovirus infection on a mouse model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
abstract: Murine norovirus (MNV) is prevalent in SPF mouse facilities in the United States, and we currently lack sufficient data to determine whether it should be eliminated. It is generally accepted that the virus does not cause clinical symptoms in immuno-competent mice. However, we previously reported that MNV infection alters the phenotype of a mouse model of bacteria-induced inflammatory bowel disease in part through its effects on dendritic cells. The tropism of MNV toward macrophages and dendritic cells makes MNV a potential intercurrent variable in murine models of macrophage-driven inflammatory diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis. Therefore, we determined whether MNV infection altered obesity and insulin resistance phenotypes in C57BL/6 mice, a widely used model of diet-induced obesity. We found that MNV did not alter weight gain, food intake, and glucose metabolism in this model, but it did induce subtle changes in lymphoid tissue. Further studies using other models of metabolic diseases are needed to provide additional information on the potential role this 'subclinical' virus might have on disease progression in mouse models of inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jisun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fierce
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drivdahl
authors.forename: Piper M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Treuting
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seamons
authors.forename: Thea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brabb
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maggio-Price
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D029322:Norovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004041:Dietary Fats