Immunocompetent mice model for dengue virus infection [corrected].
Dengue fever is a noncontagious infectious disease caused by dengue virus (DENV). DENV belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, and is classified into four antigenically distinct serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4. The number of nations and people affected has increased steadily and today is considered the most widely spread arbovirus (arthropod-borne viral disease) in the world. The absence of an appropriate animal model for studying the disease has hindered the understanding of dengue pathogenesis. In our study, we have found that immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice infected intraperitoneally with DENV-1 presented some signs of dengue disease such as thrombocytopenia, spleen hemorrhage, liver damage, and increase in production of IFNγ and TNFα cytokines. Moreover, the animals became viremic and the virus was detected in several organs by real-time RT-PCR. Thus, this animal model could be used to study mechanism of dengue virus infection, to test antiviral drugs, as well as to evaluate candidate vaccines.
Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Monte Alegre, 14049-900 Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil. g_denise87@yahoo.com.br
Denise
D
Gonçalves
Rafael
R
de Queiroz Prado
Eric
E
Almeida Xavier
Natália
N
Cristina de Oliveira
Paulo Marcos
PM
da Matta Guedes
João Santana
JS
da Silva
Luiz Tadeu
LT
Moraes Figueiredo
Victor Hugo
VH
Aquino
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003715:Dengue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007121:Immunocompetence; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D019562:Viral Load
D016207:Cytokines