DNA synthesis in spinal ganglia of rabbit after Herpes suis infection. Findings obtained by electron microscopy and autoradiography]

The mulitplication of herpes suis virus in neurons, amphicytes, gliocytes, as well as Schwann's and endothelial cells of the spinal ganglion of rabbit was traced by electron microscopy and autoradiography, using tritium-labelled thymidine. Marking of nuclear zone margin, quite common when it comes to ganglion cells, was observed also in the context of mesenchymal cells beyond expectation on the basis of light microscopy, but in the case under review it had no direct relationship with virus synthesis. Repeated markings were recorded from the nucleoli of apparently unchanged ganglion cells which suggested the suitability of the technique for early detection of infectious attack on intact cells. Exogenous 3H-thymidine was supplied three hours and absorbed with specificity by the DNA-forming centres of the nuclei, but the growing virus drew into itself additional cellular or inactive thymidine. The method proved to be highly significant, as in comparison to the nuclear environment there were ten times as many lemnici in the DNA production centres of neurons and Schwann's cells and about six times as many in the amphicytes and gliocytes. Now, there is definite justification in rejecting as unfounded all doubt expressed repeatedly and more recently in the specificity of herpes-dependent intranuclear inclusions.