title: An enterovirus 71 strain causes skeletal muscle damage in infected mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the target organs for enterovirus 71 (EV71) in infected suckling mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  5-day-old BALB/c suckling mice were infected with an EV71 strain. Tissues of the infected mice were processed for histopathological examination, including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, ultrastructural observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some mice developed limb paralysis, trouble walking and loss of balance. Results of the histopathological study showed that a large amount of EV71 existed in the skeletal muscle tissues, accounting for the damage of the skeletal muscles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EV71 clinical isolate used in this study presented evident myotropism. Skeletal muscles are important target organs for EV71 in the infected suckling mice. To clarify the relationship between EV71 infection and muscle diseases may contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of EV71.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University Tonghe, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Peixin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University Tonghe, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University Tonghe, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yeen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University Tonghe, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University Tonghe, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014709:Vero Cells
keywords: BALB/c mice; Enterovirus 71; histopathological examination; mitochondrial injury; myotropism; skeletal muscle damage