Evaluation of reconstitution of immunodeficient mice by partially purified thymic extracts.

Partially purified thymus products were used to evaluate the maturation of T lymphocytes in immunodeficient mice. Three different bovine thymic extracts, designated thymic extracts A, B, and C, were successful in increasing the longevity of conventionally raised nude mice. Daily injection of bovine thymic extracts A, B, and C and mouse thymus extracts failed to mature a population of T lymphocytes and restore the capacity to reject heart allografts. Preincubation of normal syngeneic bone marrow with thymic extract B in vitro before injection into nude mice also failed to reconstitute the host's ability to reject heart grafts. The number of antibody plaque-forming cells of sheep red blood cells in lethally irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted mice could be increased by preincubating the bone marrow cells with bovine thymic extract fraction B before injection followed by daily injections. A similar but less marked increase in plaque-forming cells was obtained by the daily injection of bovine thymic extract fraction C. Complete functional maturation of T lymphocytes in immunodeficient animals appears to require more than thymic extract stimulation of bone marrow cells or pre-T lymphocytes.     

Experimental oral and nasal transmission of rabies virus in mice.

Weanling female white Swiss mice were exposed to challenge virus standard rabies virus and street virus isolates from various domestic and wild animals. Virus was given free choice as suspension or as infected mouse brain by stomach tube, by single injection of suspension into the oral cavity of unanesthetized mice, by repeated injection into the oral cavity of anesthetized mice and by single application to the external nares of anesthetized mice. Challenge virus standard virus in mouse brain suspension and a suspension of skunk salivary glands infected with street virus (titers greater than or equal to 10(6)MICLD50/0.03 ml) consistently produced high rates of infection in mice exposed intranasally, low to high rates of infection in mice exposed by forced feeding and other artificial methods of oral exposure and very low rates of infection when given free choice. Street virus isolates passaged intracerebrally in mice had titers less than or equal to 10(4.5) MICLD50/0.03 ml and rarely caused rabies in mice exposed orally or nasally by any method. The results indicate that with the isolates used, virus of high titer (greater than or equal to 10(6)MICLD50/0.03 ml) is required to consistently produce infection in mice by the nasal route and that the mucosa of the nasal cavity probably is the chief route of infection even after oral administration.     

仙台病毒核蛋白的原核表达及鉴定

本研究从一株鼠仙台病毒（Sendai virus,SeV）中扩增获得核蛋白（nucleocapsid protein,NP）基因,将其克隆入pET32a（＋）中,转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中诱导表达。将原核表达产物作为免疫原,免疫BALB/C小鼠,制备获得抗NP的特异性多抗,经间接免疫荧光法和Western blot法检测,该表达产物原具有良好的免疫原性。将该产物纯化作为包被抗原,建立了一种检测SeV感染的间接ELISA方法。通过H1N1流感病毒、H9N2流感病毒、新城疫病毒阳性血清进行交叉试验表明：该间接ELISA方法有很好的特异性。这为实验动物仙台病毒抗体的检测提供了一种快速、简便的血清学诊断方法。     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒三种不同基因活载体疫苗的免疫性研究

用3株构建好的分别表达猪繁殖与呼吸综合症病毒(Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus,PRRSV)GP5蛋白,M蛋白和GP5-M融合蛋白的重组鸡痘病毒接种BALB/c小鼠进行免疫学实验,对其诱导小鼠产生体液免疫和细胞免疫反应的潜力进行了评价.结果表明,表达...     

Effects of vaccine route and dosage on protection from rabies after intracerebral challenge in mice

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of various routes of administration and number of doses of 3 commercially produced rabies vaccines on serum antibody responses and protection in mice challenged by intracerebral injection with fixed-strain rabies virus. ANIMALS: 2,213 mice. PROCEDURE: Inactivated, adjuvanted rabies vaccines were administered to mice in either 2, 1, or 0 (control) doses via IP, IM, and SC routes, and mice were challenged intracerebrally with fixed-strain rabies virus. RESULTS: Vaccination route and dose number significantly influenced serum antibody responses and protection from rabies virus challenge, independent of vaccine strain origin and mouse strain, although mouse age significantly affected results. Extended challenge studies revealed that IM vaccination of mice resulted in the highest serum neutralizing antibody responses and protection levels equivalent to IP vaccination. Even multiple doses administered SC (a vaccination route used in dogs) resulted in poor serum anti-rabies neutralizing antibody responses in mice and were far less protective than other routes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggest possible improvements for the current rabies vaccine potency test in mice by using 1 dose, the IM route, and a delayed time of challenge. These modifications would more closely model vaccination practices in target species and yield more accurate information regarding primary immunogenicity of a vaccine.     

Effect of calf thymus extract and zinc supplementation on the cellular response of mice exposed to restraint stress

The studies were carried out on Balb/c mice exposed to restraint stress twice for 12 h at 24 h intervals. Prior to stress exposure, the mice were treated with calf thymus extract (TFX - Jelfa) i.p. at a dose of 10 mg/kg, ten times at 24 h intervals. TFX was used per se or with zinc ions interaction, by adding zinc ions (as sulfate salt) to drinking water at a dose of 72 microg/mouse per day. The results obtained show that restraint stress dramatically decreased the total number of thymocytes and splenocytes which is also accompanied by decreasing weight ratio of the thymus and spleen. The decreasing number of thymic and spleen cells corresponded to a diminishing percentage of immature, double-positive CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, mature single-positive CD4+ thymic cells and CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ splenocytes. Changes in the number of thymic cells affect their activity, which is expressed as a decreased proliferative response of thymocytes stimulated in vitro with concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Besides, exposure to the restraint stress decreased interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by murine intraperitoneal macrophages stimulated in vitro with lipopolisacharide (LPS) from E. coli. Previous treatment with TFX counteracted restraint stress-induced immunosuppression, which is expressed as partial normalisation of the total number of thymic and spleen cells, accelerated regeneration of these two lymphatic organs, shortned suppressive action of restraint stress on the percentage of immature CD4+CD8+ thymocytes and CD4+ splenocytes and in total normalisation of the CD4+ thymocytes and CD8+ splenocytes. TFX administered prior to restraint stress not only counteracted the suppresive effects of stress on the proliferative activity of thymic cells stimulated in vitro with Con A and PHA, but also augmented the proliferative response of these cells to two mitogens. The immunorestorative effect of TFX was augmented by zinc supplementation.     

Replication and transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 in mice

Little information is known about infection, replication and transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in species other than swine. Two sets of animal experiments were carried out to investigate the susceptibility of mice to PCV2 and to study their possible role in maintaining and transmitting the virus. In the first experiment 14 mice were inoculated with PCV2 by the intraperitoneal route with 5 x 10(2) TCID50 of the PCV2-ROM strain (Cadar et al., 2007). In a second experiment 24 mice were divided into two groups (A and B); mice in Group A (n = 18) were inoculated orally with 1 x 10(5) TCID50 PCV2-ROM and mice in Group B (n = 6) were left uninoculated until day 12 post inoculation (p.i.), when they were mixed with Group A. The animals were sacrificed at intervals for postmortem investigation and virus genome detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR results indicated that PCV2 could replicate in mice infected intraperitoneally or by the oral route, and that the virus can be transmitted directly from mouse to mouse.     

以小鼠为模型评价重组伪狂犬病病毒rPRV-HA的免疫效力

以小鼠为动物模型，对此前构建的表达H3N2亚型猪流感病毒（SIV）血凝素（HA）基因的重组伪狂犬病病毒（rPRV-HA）进行了免疫效力评价。按每只10^5.0 TCID50 rPRV-HA的剂量通过滴鼻接种8周龄雌性BALB／c小鼠（n=60），同时设Bartha-K61免疫对照组（n=60）、非免疫攻毒对照组（n=20）和非免疫不攻毒对照组（n=10）。于免疫后不同时间分别从rPRV-HA免疫组和Bartha—K61免疫对照组随机剖杀一定数量的小鼠，其余小鼠于免疫后第28天用10^5.0 TCID50同亚型SIV毒株A／Swine／Heilongjiang／74／2000（H3N2）进行强毒攻击。攻毒后第4、7、14天分别剖杀小鼠，进行间接免疫荧光、病毒分离、血清学和病理组织学检测。结果表明，重组病毒主要分布于肺脏；免疫后14d起，从rPRV—HA免疫组及Bartha—K61免疫对照组均可检测到针对PRV的荧光抗体；从rPRV—HA免疫组可以检测到针对SIV的荧光抗体和血凝抑制抗体，而各对照组均呈阴性。攻毒后从rPRV—HA免疫组小鼠未分离到攻击病毒，血凝抑制抗体显著升高，病理变化显著轻于对照组，表明rPRV—HA免疫小鼠可以抵抗同亚型SIV的攻击，可以作为rPRV—HA免疫效力评价模型。     

Natural infection of nude mice with low-virulent mouse coronavirus

The outbreak of wasting disease of nude mice occurred in the laboratory colony of a Pharmaceutical Company. The viruses producing cytopathic effect with syncytium formation were isolated from the wasted nude mice by DBT cells, and were identified as mouse coronavirus by direct immunofluorescence. The nude mouse colony was closed and all the nude mice (about 500) were killed by the reason of disease control. At autopsy about 60% of nude mice showed necrotic hepatitis. By the virus isolation to see the source of contamination, viruses were isolated from the feces of apparently healthy mice of ICR, CDF1, DBA/2 and C3H, and from human cancer cell line stocked in liquid nitrogen. In experimental infection, the isolates produced only mild hepatitis in ICR mice treated with cortisone. By cross-neutralization test, the nude isolate reacted closely with the virus from C3H mice but not with the virus from cancer cell line. The isolates from nude and C3H mice produced experimentally wasting disease with necrotic hepatitis in nude mice. These findings suggest that wasting disease in nude mice might be caused by low-virulent mouse coronavirus shed in feces from C3H mice introduced before the outbreak of disease.     

玉米赤霉烯酮对小鼠胸腺上皮细胞线粒体的影响

为探讨玉米赤霉烯酮对离体培养的小鼠胸腺上皮细胞的作用,本研究以1月龄昆明小鼠为研究对象,采用MTT法、线粒体染色、流式细胞仪分析等方法,离体研究玉米赤霉烯酮对胸腺上皮细胞线粒体的影响。结果表明,高剂量(10~25 μg/mL)玉米赤霉烯酮能显著增强小鼠胸腺上皮细胞线粒体代谢MTT能力,增强线粒体活性,使线粒体膜电位升高。     

Two epizootics of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus occurring in laboratory mice despite intensive monitoring programs.

Two epizootics of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in mice occurred within two months in one research facility consisting of several widely separated rooms. These outbreaks developed despite intensive institutional monitoring policies designed to prevent introduction and spread of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Evidence derived from serological and virological assays and interviews with the concerned investigators suggested that a single transplantable tumor carried in mice may have been responsible for spread of the virus. However, the tumor was not contaminated with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus at the time of its introduction into the mouse facility. The origin of the virus responsible for the outbreaks was not definitively established although data supported an hypothesis that the virus was introduced into the research facility by a wild or feral mouse. Virus spread from infected mice to humans did not occur, as measured by serological tests. However, a large and valuable animal facility was depopulated for safety reasons. Absorption of sera with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus antigen proved a necessary and reliable method for confirming specificity of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus fluorescence-positive reactions.     

Induction of persistent infection in mice and oncogenic transformation of mouse macrophages with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) established long-term persistent infection in intracerebrally inoculated athymic nude mice. After intraperitoneal injection into outbred mice, virus was isolated for only 3 days from spleens and livers. In vitro inoculation of outbred mouse spleen fragments with IBRV resulted in persistent infection and subsequent transformation of spleen macrophages. The IBRV-specific membrane and intracellular antigens were detected by indirect immunofluorescence techniques in transformed cells in early in vitro passages. The presence of IBRV genetic formation was confirmed by in situ hybridization. The IBRV-transformed mouse macrophages induced fibrosarcomas and cystic tumors in athymic nude mice. Infective virus could not be rescued from transformed cells by cocultivation with rabbit kidney cells, treatment with iododeoxyuridine, or ultraviolet irradiation.     

Granulomatous peritonitis and pleuritis in interferon-gamma gene knockout mice naturally infected with mouse hepatitis virus

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a disease outbreak in a colony of laboratory mice with targeted disruption of the gene for interferon-gamma. FORMAT: A case report based on necropsy, histopathology, serology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Affected mice exhibited depression and variable ascites. Necropsy revealed a granulomatous peritonitis and pleuritis with extensive adhesions although parenchymal lesions were minimal. Serum samples had high concentrations of antibody to mouse hepatitis virus and immunohistochemical examination revealed the presence of mouse hepatitis virus antigen in granuloma macrophages. Sero-logical testing for other infectious agents and bacterial culture were negative and wild type mice kept in the same facility remained healthy. Despite the association between the disease and mouse hepatitis virus infection, the precise role played by mouse hepatitis virus was not determined. While the disease is superficially similar to feline infectious peritonitis (another coronavirus-induced serositis), differences exist between the histopathological findings in these two conditions. CONCLUSION: This unusual disease process illustrates how new diagnostic challenges can arise in novel mouse genotypes created through molecular genetics. Furthermore, the association between the disease and mouse hepatitis virus illustrates the importance of maintaining laboratory animals under specific-pathogen free conditions.     

Review of thymic pathology in 30 cats and 36 dogs

Data are presented from 30 cats and 36 dogs in which thymic disease was recognised clinically or on postmortem examination. The diagnoses included thymic lymphoma (19 cats, l 2 dogs), thymoma (five cats, 18 dogs), thymic branchial cyst formation or cystic change (one cat, four dogs), thymic hyperplasia (two cats), congenital hypoplasia (one cat, one dog), thymic haemorrhage (one cat, one dog) and thymic amyloidosis (one cat). Thymic lymphoma occurred in younger dogs and cats, and was recorded equally among domestic shorthaired and purebred (especially Siamese) cats. Eight cats with thymic lymphoma were tested for feline leukaemia virus and four were positive. Thymoma occurred more frequently in older cats and dogs, and in Labradors and German shepherd dogs. Thymic tumours were associated with paraneoplastic hypercalcaemia (six dogs), megaoesophagus (two dogs) or interface dermatitis with basement membrane immune complex deposition (one cat). Non-neoplastic thymic diseases were associated with myasthenia gravis (one cat), pemphigus foliaceus (one cat) and superficial necrolytic dermatitis (one cat).     

Ghrelin对雌激素诱导小鼠胸腺萎缩过程中细胞因子及凋亡相关蛋白基因表达的影响

应用光镜和实时定量PCR技术研究了Ghrelin对雌激素诱导小鼠胸腺萎缩过程中胸腺形态学以及部分细胞因子和凋亡相关蛋白基因表达的影响。结果显示,注射Ghrelin后,雌激素诱导的小鼠萎缩胸腺在形态学上基本恢复到正常水平,胸腺中IL-6、TGF-[31、Caspase3、FADDmRNA含量显著降低,Caspase9、FasLmRNA含量略为下降,而IL-7、Bcl-2mRNA含量有所上升。结果表明,Ghrelin可能通过促进胸腺上皮细胞的增殖以及阻断Caspase级联程序和Fas／FasL凋亡信号通路抑制胸腺细胞的凋亡,从而逆转雌激素诱导的小鼠胸腺萎缩。     

Distribution of rabies virus in infected mice,vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes as immunomodulator

The lethality and distribution of rabies virus were evaluated in swiss mice experimentally infected with street rabies virus, vaccinated and submitted to immunomodulation by P .acnes (formerly Corynebacterium parvum). The animals were sacrificed at different times,when the different tissues were collected and submitted to fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and mouse inoculation test (MIT). The group submitted to vaccination and P. acnes treatment presented a percentage of survival superior to that observed in infected mice only treated with P. acnes. Control infected animals had the lowest survival rates.The distribution of rabies virus in spleen of infected mice, vaccinated and submitted to P. acnes was superior to that verified in infected mice not treated with P.acnes. The increased survival correlated with the distribution of rabies virus in lymphoid tissues, could be interpreted as the consequence of P. acnes activity on macrophages. The results suggest the role of macrophages against rabies virus infection in mice and the importance of vaccination in the post expositive treatment of rabies.     

鼻咽癌来源潜伏膜蛋白1的表达诱发转基因小鼠鼻咽不典型增生

为建立鼻咽癌来源潜伏膜蛋白1（N－LMP1）转基因小鼠模型，从整体的角度研究N－LMP1的功能，进一步阐明EB病毒在鼻咽癌变过程中的作用，应用DNA重组技术将角质细胞特异性启动子EDL2与N－LMP1连接，构建转基因EDL2－N－LMP1；并用显微注射技术，将转基因EDL2－N－LMP1注射入小鼠受精卵前核，再将注射后的受精卵植入假孕母鼠，获得转基因鼠，然后观察目的的基因在鼻咽部的表达和病理变化。本实验共获得53只转基因鼠，PCR法证明其中6只小鼠有N－LMP1基因扩增带，Suothern杂交显示PCR阳性小鼠有特异的杂交信号，整合率为11．3％，1只4月龄的转基因鼠出现了鼻咽部不典型增生，说明N－LMP1单独就能诱发小鼠鼻咽部发生癌前病变，为EB病毒可能是鼻咽癌的主要病因提供了有力的证据。     

Some characteristics of four attenuated vaccine virus strains and a virulent strain of Aujeszky's disease virus

In the present study four attenuated virus strains, used as vaccines, and a virulent strain of Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) were compared with respect to their virulence in mice, their ability to induce virus-specified thymidine kinase (TK) in infected cells, and their cleavage profiles of viral DNA's after treatment with the restriction endonuclease KpnI. The survival time of mice inoculated with the B-KAL or the virulent NIA-3 strain was comparable, whereas the Bartha and BUK strains required significantly longer periods to kill mice. Mice were resistant to the MK-25 strain of ADV. The strains were assayed for TK phenotype by plaque autoradiography after 3H-thymidine labelling of infected cells. MK-25 proved to be the only strain defective in induction of TK in pig kidney cells. Restriction endonuclease analysis of viral DNA's revealed that each vaccine strain showed a characteristic fragment pattern that could easily be differentiated from that of other vaccine and field strains of ADV. The present results demonstrate that the mouse virulence test and the TK assay detect differences in biological properties of ADV strains, but that restriction endonuclease analysis is required for unambiguous identification of vaccine and field strains of ADV.     

An epizootic of parainfluenza virus type 1 in a group of C57B16 mice

An epizootic of respiratory troubles was noticed in a group of C57B16 mice used to study their response following inoculations of different thymic extracts. The infection was characterized by a high level of mortalities. Macroscopically, the lungs of affected animals showed red consolidated areas on the lobes. Microscopically, an acute bronchopneumonia with eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the epithelial cells of the bronchi were seen. Those lesions suggest a parainfluenza virus type 1 infection.

The presence of viral particles, morphologically similar to members of the Paramyxoviridae family in lung homogenates observed under electron microscopy and the elevated serum complement fixation and hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers to parainfluenza virus type 1 confirm the diagnosis. The source of the infection is unknown but four hypothesis are proposed.

Healthy animals free of demonstrable antibodies specific to parainfluenza virus type 1 were obtained and the experiment was repeated. No mortalities were observed and the animals remained free of demonstrable complement fixation and hemagglutination inhibition antibodies throughout the experiment.

     

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus infection of type I interferon receptor deficient mice

Type I interferon receptor deficient (IFNAR(-/-)) mice were infected with an Israeli isolate of serotype 7 of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV; Orbivirus, Reoviridae). Two out of two mice that received 5×10(5) 50% tissue culture infectious doses (TCID(50)) by intraperitoneal injection died or were euthanized in a moribund state on day 5 after infection. One mouse out of three that had been inoculated with 5×10(2) TCID(50) died on day 7 while the remaining mice did not show any clinical signs and survived until the end of the experiment. Spleens of all dead mice were highly positive in an EHDV real-time RT-PCR (quantification cycle values ≤15) and contained ≥10(5.8) TCID(50) of virus per ml of homogenate. The viral RNA content and virus titer in the spleens of the two surviving mice, on the other hand, were over 100-fold lower. Different from data reported for BTV, the outcome of EHDV infection of IFNAR(-/-) mice is dose-dependent and subclinical infections can occur.