title: Intracellular Spread of Rabies Virus Is Reduced in the Paralytic Form of Canine Rabies Compared to the Furious Form.
abstract: Studies of the furious and paralytic forms of canine rabies at the early stage of disease have shown a more rapid viral colonization of the cerebral hemispheres in the furious form, as measured by viral antigen within neuronal cell bodies and viral RNA levels. Measurement of cellular processes separate from neuronal cell body provides a visual record of the spread of rabies virus which occurs across synapses. In this study, the amount of rabies viral antigen within cell processes was quantitatively assessed by image analysis in a cohort of naturally rabies infected non-vaccinated dogs (5 furious and 5 paralytic) that were sacrificed shortly after developing illness. Measurements were taken at different levels of the spinal cord, brain stem, and cerebrum. Results were compared to the amount of rabies viral antigen in neuronal cell bodies. Generally, the amount of rabies viral antigen in cell processes decreased in a rostral direction, following the pattern for the amount of rabies viral antigen in neuronal cell bodies and the percentage of involved cell bodies. However, there was a delay in cell process involvement following cell body involvement, consistent with replication occurring in the cell body region and subsequent transport out to cell processes. Greater amounts of antigen were seen in cell processes in dogs with the furious compared to paralytic form, at all anatomic levels examined. This difference was even evident when comparing (1) neurons with similar amounts of antigen, (2) similar percentages of involved neurons, and (3) anatomic levels that showed 100% positive neurons. These findings suggest that intracellular transport of the virus may be slower in the paralytic form, resulting in slower viral propagation. Possible mechanisms might involve host-specific differences in intracellular virus transport. The latter could be cytokine-mediated, since previous studies have documented greater inflammation in the paralytic form.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.|Chulalongkorn GenePRO Center, Research Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.|WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training on Viral Zoonoses, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Shanop
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shuangshoti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul Scott
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thorner
authors.affiliation: Chulalongkorn GenePRO Center, Research Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chinachote
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teerapakpinyo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nisachol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thepa
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pornchai
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phukpattaranont
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nirun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Intarut
authors.affiliation: Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Boonlert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lumlertdacha
authors.affiliation: Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Veera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tepsumethanon
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training on Viral Zoonoses, Bangkok, Thailand.|Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thiravat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hemachudha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D004285:Dogs; D009474:Neurons / Q000821:virology*; D011818:Rabies / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral