Summary
About 30% of weanling rats inoculated with JHM virus developed a subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (SDE) 3 weeks after inoculation (a.i.). From the remaining animals, 5% displayed overt neurological signs 3,6, and 8 months a.i. Animals with and without clinical signs 6–8 months a.i. were morphologically examined.
Fresh demyelinating lesions could be demonstrated in paralyzed animals. Viral antigen was demonstrated and infectious JHM virus could be recovered from one animal which developed clinical signs at 3 months a.i. In one animal with clinical onset of 8 months a.i., completely remyelinated areas as well as recent demyelinating lesions were observed, suggesting a recurrence of the disease process. Remyelinated areas were also found in 40% of clinically silent animals. The morphology of the late onset of the demyelination was similar to that occurring in SDE. Remyelination consisted of both CNS and PNS-type. This animal model offers the possibility to investigate the virus-host relationship which is responsible for the induction of a demyelinating process after a long incubation period.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bailey, O. T., Pappenheimer, A. M., Cheever, F. S., Daniels, J. B.: A murine virus (JHM) causing disseminated encephalomyelitis with extensive destruction of myelin. II. Pathology. J. Exp. Med.90, 195–212 (1949)
Blakemore, W. F.: Pattern of remyelination in the CNS. Nature249, 575–578 (1974)
Blakemore, W. F.: Remyelination by Schwann cells of axons demyelinated by intraspinal injection ofg-aminonicotanimide in the rat. J. Neurocytol.4, 745–757 (1975)
Dal Canto, M., Wisniewski, H. M., Johnson, A. B., Brostoff, S. W., Raine, C. S.: Vesicular disruption of myelin in autoimmune demyelination. J. Neurol. Sci.24, 313–319 (1975)
Feigin, I., Popoff, N.: Regeneration of myelin in multiple sclerosis. The role of mesenchymal cells in such regeneration and in myelin formation in the peripheral nervous system. Neurology (Minneap.)16, 364–372 (1966)
Ghatak, N. R., Hirano, A., Doron, Y. et al.: Remyelination in multiple sclerosis with peripheral type myelin. Arch. Neurol.29, 262–267 (1973)
Herndon, R. M., Griffin, D. E., McCormick, U., Weiner, L. P.: Mouse hepatitis virus-induced recurrent demyelination. A preliminary report. Arch. Neurol.32, 32–35 (1975)
Herndon, R. M., Price, D. L., Weiner, L. P.: Regeneration of oligodendroglia during recovering from demyelinating disease. Science195, 693–694 (1977)
Hirano, A., Zimmermann, H. M., Levine, S.: Electron microscopic observations of peripheral myelin in a central nervous system lesion. Acta Neuropathol. (Berl.)12, 348–365 (1969)
Karnowsky, M. J.: The ultrastructural basis of capillary permeability studies with peroxidase as a tracer. J. Cell Biol.35, 213–236 (1967)
Lampert, P. W., Sims, J. K., Kniazeff, A. J.: Mechanism of demyelination in JHM virus encephalomyelitis. Electron microscopic studies. Acta Neuropathol. (Berl.)24, 76–85 (1973)
Nagashima, K., Wege, H., Mcyermann, R., ter Meulen, V.: Corona virus induced subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis in rats: A morphological analysis. Acta Neuropathol. (Berl.)44, 63–70 (1978)
Ogata, J., Feigin, I.: Schwann cells and regenerated peripheral myelin in multiple sclerosis: An ultrastructural study. Neurology (Minneap.)25, 713–716 (1975)
Prineas, J., Raine, C. S., Wisniewski, H.: An ultrastructural study of experimental demyelination and remyelination. III. Chronic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the central nervous system. Lab. Invest.21, 472–483 (1969)
Raine, C. S., Stone, S. H.: Animal model for multiple sclerosis. Chronic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in inbred guinea pigs. NY State J. Med.77, 1693–1696 (1977)
Virelizier, J. C., Dayan, A. D., Allison, A. C.: Neuropathological effects of persistent infection of mice by mouse hepatitis virus. Infect. Immun.12, 1127–1140 (1975)
Weiner, L. P.: Pathogenesis of demyelination induced by a mouse hepatitis virus (JHM virus). Arch. Neurol.28, 293–303 (1973)
Wisniewski, H. M., Keith, A. B.: Chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: an experimental model of multiple sclerosis. Ann. Neurol.1, 144–148 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Schwerpunkt Multiple Sklerose und verwandte Erkrankungen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nagashima, K., Wege, H., Meyermann, R. et al. Demyelinating encephalomyelitis induced by a long-term corona virus infection in rats. Acta Neuropathol 45, 205–213 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00702672
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00702672