title: [Distribution of influenza A (H5N1) virus and pathological lesions in major organ tissues of experimentally infected rhesus macaques].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the pathological changes and viral invasion in the main organs of rhesus macaques after experimental infection with H5N1 virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rhesus macaques were infected with H5N1 virus (AF148678/ACGoose/Guangdong/11961H5N1) by nasal inoculation under anesthesia. One rhesus macaque was killed respectively at 1, 3, 6, 14 days after infection. The pathologic changes of the main organs were observed using HE staining and the characteristics of the viral invasion in the body were analyzed using viral isolation, RT-PCR andimmunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The influenza virus replicated only in the lung tissues characterized by diffuse alveolar damage in the infected rhesus macaques, mainly involving alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary macrophages. The pathological changes showed 3 phases including exudative inflammation, hyperplasia and fibrosis. Extra-pulmonary organs also showed different degree of pathological changes such as degeneration and necrosis, but virus was not isolated in the corresponding organs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute diffuse lung injury was a central part of the pathogenesis in H5N1 avian influenza virus infection. The lung was the main target organ in H5N1 viral infection, and H5N1 virus cannot replicate in other organs, which may be one of the obstacles to H5N1 viral transmission from person to person.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Respiratory Diseases in affiliated hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Guangdong 524001, China.
authors.forename: Tianwen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Laboratory Animal Monitor Institute, Guangzhou 510260, China.
authors.forename: Shaochang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Dongming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Email: labking@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Email: wubin621011@126.com.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D056809:Alveolar Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000821:virology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology*