Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
2006-11-13
pubmed:abstractText
Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) viruses cause natural outbreaks in humans and horses and represent a significant biothreat agent. The effect of tunicamycin on the course of the disease in mice with VEE was investigated, and the combined effects of these agents was characterized. CD-1 mice given 2.5 microg of tunicamycin had >1,000-fold more virus in the brain 48 hours after infection with the virulent VEE strain V3000 and > or =100-fold of the attenuated strain V3034 at all tested times than did untreated mice, indicating enhanced neuroinvasion. Tunicamycin did not alter the viremia profiles of these viruses nor the replication of V3000 in the brain itself. Tunicamycin alone caused ultrastructural blood-brain barrier damage, yet neuroinvasion by V3000 in treated mice appeared to occur via the olfactory system rather than the blood-brain barrier. Tunicamycin-treated, V3000-infected mice also exhibited earlier and more severe weight loss, neurological signs, neuronal infection, neuronal necrosis and apoptosis, and inflammation than untreated, V3000-infected mice. The mean survival time of tunicamycin-treated, V3000-infected mice was 7.3 days versus 9.9 days for untreated, V3000-infected mice. These studies imply that animals that ingest toxins similar to tunicamycin, including the agent of annual ryegrass toxicity in livestock, are conceivably at greater risk from infections by encephalitis viruses and that humans and horses exposed to agents acting similar to tunicamycin may be more susceptible to encephalitis caused by VEE viruses. The exact mechanism of tunicamycin-enhanced neuroinvasion by VEE viruses requires further study.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0300-9858
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
43
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
904-13
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2006
pubmed:articleTitle
Tunicamycin enhances neuroinvasion and encephalitis in mice infected with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't