Abstract
Infection of immunocompetent adult rats with Borna disease virus (BDV) causes severe encephalitis and neural dysfunction. The expression of COX-2 and CGRP, genes previously shown to be implicated in CNS disease and peripheral inflammation, was dramatically upregulated in the cortical neurons of acutely BDV-infected rats. Neuronal COX-2 and CGRP upregulation was predominantly seen in brain areas where ED1-positive macrophages/microglia accumulated. In addition, COX-2 expression was strongly induced in brain endothelial cells and the number of COX-2 immunoreactive microglial cells was increased. In contrast, despite increased expression of viral antigens, neither COX-2 nor CGRP expression was altered in the CNS of BDV-infected rats treated with dexamethasone, or tolerant to BDV. Thus, increased CGRP and COX-2 expression in the BDV-infected brain is the result of the inflammatory response and likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of virus-induced encephalitis.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
-
Antigens, Viral / analysis
-
Borna Disease / enzymology*
-
Borna Disease / immunology*
-
Brain Diseases / metabolism
-
Brain Diseases / virology
-
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / analysis
-
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / genetics*
-
Cyclooxygenase 2
-
Dexamethasone / pharmacology
-
Endothelium, Vascular / enzymology
-
Endothelium, Vascular / virology
-
Enzyme Activation / drug effects
-
Enzyme Activation / physiology
-
Female
-
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
-
Hippocampus / enzymology
-
Hippocampus / virology
-
Isoenzymes / analysis
-
Isoenzymes / genetics*
-
Macrophages / virology
-
Microglia / virology
-
Neocortex / enzymology
-
Neocortex / virology
-
Peroxidases / analysis
-
Peroxidases / genetics
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / analysis
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / genetics*
-
Prostaglandins / immunology
-
Rats
-
Rats, Inbred Lew
Substances
-
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
-
Antigens, Viral
-
Isoenzymes
-
Prostaglandins
-
Dexamethasone
-
Peroxidases
-
Cyclooxygenase 2
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
-
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide