title: Experimental infection of Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils with human hepatitis E virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils are readily susceptible to infection by human hepatitis E virus (HEV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils were infected with a clinical HEV strain isolated from an acute hepatitis E patient, and virus pathogenesis was assessed in this host. Non-infected gerbils served as the control group. Feces samples from gerbils were collected weekly for reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction. Serum anti-HEV IgG and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. At sacrifice, each animal's liver, spleen and kidney were collected for histopathologic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HEV-infected gerbils showed fatigue, with histopathological changes observed in the liver, spleen and kidney. HEV RNA was detected in fecal samples taken at day 7 after inoculation and the detectable levels lasted out to day 42 after inoculation. Interestingly, ALT levels were only moderately increased in the HEV-infected animals compared with the non-infected control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils are susceptible to human HEV.
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhuo-Jing
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Yan Hong, Zhuo-Jing He, Wei Tao, Ting Fu, Yan-Kun Wang, Yong Chen, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Hepatitis E virus; Infection; Interspecies transmission; Mongolian gerbils; Zoonosis