Characteristics of viruses derived from nude mice with persistent measles virus infection.
Measles virus (MV) isolates from patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) differ from wild-type MV virologically. However, few animal models have reported viruses with characteristics of the SSPE virus. The MV Edmonston strain was inoculated into the subarachnoid space of nude mice. All nude mice displayed weight loss and required euthanasia, with a mean survival duration of 73.2 days. The viral load in the brain was 4- to 400-fold higher than the inoculated load, and brain infection was confirmed by immunostaining. Gene sequencing of the viruses revealed that amino acid mutations occurred more frequently in matrix proteins. The most common mutation was a uridine-to-cytosine transition. The virus exhibited lower free virus particle formation ability than the Edmonston strain. When nude mice were challenged with 2 × 10(2) PFU of the brain-derived virus, the mean survival duration was 34.7 days, which was significantly shorter than that of the mice challenged with 4 × 10(4) PFU of the Edmonston strain (P < 0.01). This study indicated that MV in a nude mouse model of persistent infection exhibited characteristics of the SSPE virus. This model may prove useful in elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of SSPE and developing potential therapeutics.
Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukusjima, Japan. yusakua@fmu.ac.jp
Yusaku
Y
Abe
Koichi
K
Hashimoto
Masahiro
M
Watanabe
Shinichiro
S
Ohara
Masatoki
M
Sato
Yukihiko
Y
Kawasaki
Yuko
Y
Hashimoto
Mitsuaki
M
Hosoya
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000821:virology*; D017354:Point Mutation; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019562:Viral Load; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D014764:Viral Proteins