title: Comparative analysis of the pathogenic mechanisms of street rabies virus strains with different virulence levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize two strains of street rabies virus (RABV) isolated from the brain tissue of cattle from Inner Mongolia. Differences in the histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the brain tissue of infected mice were determined to reveal variation in the pathogenesis of infection between street rabies virus strains.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten-day-old mice were intracranially inoculated with one of three virus strains and brain tissue harvested when the mice were moribund. Various histopathological and ultrastructural markers of disease were then compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infection with the street virus strain CNM1101C resulted in severe neuronal dendrites damage, but only mild cell apoptosis, T lymphocyte infiltration and microglial activation. Infection with the other street virus strain, CNM1103C, was characterized by cell apoptosis, T lymphocyte infiltration and microglial activation as well as dendrites damage. However, in comparison, infection with the attenuated virus strain CTN caused severe T lymphocyte infiltration, microglial activation and cell apoptosis, but left the neuronal dendrites intact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two street rabies virus strains isolated from cattle from Inner Mongolia had different levels of virulence and caused distinct pathological changes in infected mice. Therefore, we concluded that different pathogenic mechanisms exist between different RABV strains.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Jing Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Yu Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Xiao Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Peng Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Xin Xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Wen Tao
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Guo Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, Ministry of Health, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC, China CDC), Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Feng Long
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D002681:China; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011818:Rabies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Apoptosis; Immunohistochemistry; Pathogenicity; Rabies virus