TY - JOUR
T1 - Apoptosis of hippocampal pyramidal neurons is virus independent in a mouse model of acute neurovirulent picornavirus infection
AU - Buenz, Eric J.
AU - Sauer, Brian M.
AU - LaFrance-Corey, Reghann G.
AU - Deb, Chandra
AU - Denic, Aleksandar
AU - German, Christopher L.
AU - Howe, Charles L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by grant R01NS064571 (C.L.H.) from the NIH, by RG3636 (C.L.H.) from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, by Donald and Frances Herdrich (C.L.H.) and by an early career development award from the Mayo Clinic (C.L.H.). E.J.B., B.M.S., A.D., and C.L.G. were supported by the Mayo Graduate School. C.L.G. was also supported by a gift from the Kern Family.
PY - 2009/8
Y1 - 2009/8
N2 - Many viruses, including picornaviruses, have the potential to infect the central nervous system (CNS) and stimulate a neuroinflammatory immune response, especially in infants and young children. Cognitive deficits associated with CNS picornavirus infection result from injury and death of neurons that may occur due to direct viral infection or during the immune responses to virus in the brain. Previous studies have concluded that apoptosis of hippocampal neurons during picornavirus infection is a cell-autonomous event triggered by direct neuronal infection. However, these studies assessed neuron death at time points late in infection and during infections that lead to either death of the host or persistent viral infection. In contrast, many neurovirulent picornavirus infections are acute and transient, with rapid clearance of virus from the host. We provide evidence of hippocampal pathology in mice acutely infected with the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis picornavirus. We found that CA1 pyramidal neurons exhibited several hallmarks of apoptotic death, including caspase-3 activation, DNA fragmentation, and chromatin condensation within 72 hours of infection. Critically, we also found that many of the CA1 pyramidal neurons undergoing apoptosis were not infected with virus, indicating that neuronal cell death during acute picornavirus infection of the CNS occurs in a non-cell-autonomous manner. These observations suggest that therapeutic strategies other than antiviral interventions may be useful for neuroprotection during acute CNS picornavirus infection.
AB - Many viruses, including picornaviruses, have the potential to infect the central nervous system (CNS) and stimulate a neuroinflammatory immune response, especially in infants and young children. Cognitive deficits associated with CNS picornavirus infection result from injury and death of neurons that may occur due to direct viral infection or during the immune responses to virus in the brain. Previous studies have concluded that apoptosis of hippocampal neurons during picornavirus infection is a cell-autonomous event triggered by direct neuronal infection. However, these studies assessed neuron death at time points late in infection and during infections that lead to either death of the host or persistent viral infection. In contrast, many neurovirulent picornavirus infections are acute and transient, with rapid clearance of virus from the host. We provide evidence of hippocampal pathology in mice acutely infected with the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis picornavirus. We found that CA1 pyramidal neurons exhibited several hallmarks of apoptotic death, including caspase-3 activation, DNA fragmentation, and chromatin condensation within 72 hours of infection. Critically, we also found that many of the CA1 pyramidal neurons undergoing apoptosis were not infected with virus, indicating that neuronal cell death during acute picornavirus infection of the CNS occurs in a non-cell-autonomous manner. These observations suggest that therapeutic strategies other than antiviral interventions may be useful for neuroprotection during acute CNS picornavirus infection.
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U2 - 10.2353/ajpath.2009.081126
DO - 10.2353/ajpath.2009.081126
M3 - Article
C2 - 19608874
AN - SCOPUS:68449105075
SN - 0002-9440
VL - 175
SP - 668
EP - 684
JO - American Journal of Pathology
JF - American Journal of Pathology
IS - 2
ER -