title: Expression pattern of NLRP3 and its related cytokines in the lung and brain of avian influenza virus H9N2 infected BALB/c mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) becomes the focus for its ability of transmission to mammals and as a donor to provide internal genes to form the new epidemic lethal influenza viruses. Residue 627 in PB2 has been proven the virulence factor of H9N2 avian influenza virus in mice, but the detailed data for inflammation difference between H9N2 virus strains with site 627 mutation is still unclear. The inflammasome NLRP3 is recently reported as the cellular machinery responsible for activation of inflammatory processes and plays an important role during the development of inflammation caused by influenza virus infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of NLRP3 and its related cytokines of IL-1β and TNF-α in BALB/c mice infected by H9N2 AIV strains with only a site 627 difference at both mRNA and protein levels at different time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the expression level of NLRP3, IL-1β and TNF-α changed in the lung and brain of BALB/c mice after infection by VK627 and rVK627E. The immunohistological results showed that the positive cells of NLRP3, IL-1β and TNF-α altered the positive levels of original cells in tissues and infiltrated inflammatory cells which caused by H9N2 infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provided the basic data at differences in expression pattern of NLRP3 and its related cytokines in BALB/c mice infected by H9N2 influenza viruses with only a site 627 difference. This implied that NLRP3 inflammasome plays a role in host response to influenza virus infection and determines the outcome of clinical manifestation and pathological injury. This will explain the variable of pathological presentation in tissues and enhance research on inflammation process of the AIV H9N2 infection.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. yudreamer@126.com.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. zkz12320092006@163.com.
authors.forename: Kaizhao
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. qiwenbao@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wenbao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. zhiqianghuang87@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. yejinhuiorfei@163.com.
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. mayongjiang@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yongjiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. mliao@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China. ningzhyong@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhangyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ning
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D053127:Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype / Q000254:growth & development*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C492716:Nlrp3 protein, mouse; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha