The relationship between viral RNA, myelin-specific mRNAs, and demyelination in central nervous system disease during Theiler's virus infection.

The DA strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (DAV) causes a chronic demyelinating disease in susceptible mouse strains. To elucidate the pathogenesis of DAV-induced demyelination, the authors investigated the spatial and chronologic relationship between virus (antigen and RNA), myelin-specific mRNAs, and demyelination in DAV-infected mice using immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and slot blot hybridization analyses. In spinal cord white matter, viral RNA was detected easily in ventral root entry zones 1 to 2 weeks after infection. Viral RNA increased to maximum levels by 4 weeks after infection, which was associated with inflammation and mild demyelination. At 8 to 12 weeks after infection, when demyelination became most extensive, viral RNA was significantly decreased. Demyelination did not chronologically or spatially parallel the presence of viral RNA within the spinal cord. Decrease of myelin-specific mRNAs, including myelin-basic protein and proteolipid protein mRNAs, was observed within the demyelinating lesions with or without detectable viral RNA. These results indicate that a viral infection of white matter in the early phase of the infection initiates spinal cord disease leading to demyelination, but later an ongoing immunopathologic process contributes to the presence of extensive demyelination.     

Location and distribution of virus antigen in the central nervous system of mice persistently infected with Theiler's virus

The present study has shown that virus can be readily detected by immunofluorescent staining in the central nervous system (CNS) of SJL mice persistently infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). Considering the low CNS virus content, large amounts of virus antigen were found in the white matter, the site of demyelinating lesions. Virus antigen was detected in all animals killed after post-infection (PI) Day 21, a time which can be considered as the beginning of the persistent phase of this infection, and the appearance of virus antigen in white matter corresponded closely in time with the onset of demyelination. The pathogensis of this persistent infection can now be reasonably well reconstructed from the temporal observations made in this study. It would appear that between the second and third week PI, virus replication largely shifts from neurons in spinal cord gray matter to other cell types located in white matter. While a lower-grade persistent infection (in terms of the relative number of cells containing virus antigen) is established and maintained in cells in the gray matter and inflammatory and leptomeningeal infiltrates, cells in white matter appear to be mainly responsible for perpetuating the infection. Why these cells should supplant neurons as the most susceptible host cell during the chronic phase of the infection is discussed.     

Location and distribution of virus antigen in the central nervous system of mice persistently infected with Theiler's virus.

The present study has shown that virus can be readily detected by immunofluorescent staining in the central nervous system (CNS) of SJL mice persistently infected with Theiler''s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). Considering the low CNS virus content, large amounts of virus antigen were found in the white matter, the site of demyelinating lesions. Virus antigen was detected in all animals killed after post-infection (PI) Day 21, a time which can be considered as the beginning of the persistent phase of this infection, and the appearance of virus antigen in white matter corresponded closely in time with the onset of demyelination. The pathogensis of this persistent infection can now be reasonably well reconstructed from the temporal observations made in this study. It would appear that between the second and third week PI, virus replication largely shifts from neurons in spinal cord gray matter to other cell types located in white matter. While a lower-grade persistent infection (in terms of the relative number of cells containing virus antigen) is established and maintained in cells in the gray matter and inflammatory and leptomeningeal infiltrates, cells in white matter appear to be mainly responsible for perpetuating the infection. Why these cells should supplant neurons as the most susceptible host cell during the chronic phase of the infection is discussed.     

Theiler''s virus infection in mice: an unusual biphasic disease process leading to demyelination.

An unusual biphasic central nervous system disease developed in 3-week-old Swiss outbred mice after intracerebral inoculation of the DA strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. Nine to 20 days postinfection 86% of mice became paralyzed, and approximately one-half of these animals survived. During this period neuronal necrosis and microglial proliferation were seen in thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. There was an initial phase of virus growth in spinal cord followed by persistent infection at a lower concentration. Virus antigen was readily found in the cytoplasm of neurons by immunofluorescent staining early in the course of infection, whereas after 30 days there was a paucity of cells containing virus antigen which were present only in the spinal cord white matter. Between 1 and 5 months, an intense mononuclear inflammatory cell lesion evolved in the spinal cord leptomeninges and white matter, which coincided with a mild gait disturbance in some surviving mice, and patchy demyelination was found in areas of inflammation. The acute gray matter pathology would appear to be the result of direct virus lytic effect. Although the late white matter lesion culminating in demyelination probably represents a cytocidal infection similar to the situation that exists in certain picornavirus carrier culture systems, a virus-induced immunopathological process merits further study.     

Contrasting effects of immunosuppression on Theiler''s virus infection in mice.

In the present study, cyclophosphamide and rabbit anti-mouse thymocyte serum were used to immunosuppress SJL/J mice infected with Theiler's mouse encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) in order to delineate the potential mechanism(s) of virus-induced cellular injury in this infection. Whereas both immunosuppressive agents produced a significant increase in mortality, this treatment had differing effects on the pathological involvement of gray and white-matter structures in the central nervous system. The central nervous system of immunosuppressed TMEV-infected mice had increased microglial cell proliferation and neuronal necrosis, longer maintenance of high virus levels and spread of virus antigen to involve the neocortex and hippocampal complex. These observations indicate that TMEV causes a cytolotic infection of neurons and possibly other cells in gray matter. In contrast, immunosuppression produced a dramatic reduction in mononuclear inflammatory cells in the leptomeninges and spinal cord white matter of infected mice and prevented demyelination. Further, virus antigen was not detected in the leptomeninges and white matter of immunosuppressed and infected mice. These findings suggest that demyelination of TMEV infection is immune mediated.     

Sequential infection of glial cells by the murine hepatitis virus JHM strain (MHV-4) leads to a characteristic distribution of demyelination.

An antigenic variant of the neurotropic murine coronavirus JHMV, designated 2.2-V-1, causes marked demyelination in the relative absence of encephalitis. It is thus useful for the study of the pathogenesis of demyelinating lesions. To better understand the sequential events leading to demyelination, we have examined murine brain and spinal cord tissue at daily intervals after intracerebral inoculation, evaluating them for the distribution of viral antigen, leukocyte infiltration, and demyelination. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that virus established primary infection in the ependymal cells in both brain and spinal cord before spreading into nearby structures and along white matter tracts by cell-to-cell contact. Spread from brain to spinal cord appeared to occur via cerebrospinal fluid. Viral replication was focally cytocidal for ependymal cells, and essentially noncytocidal for other neural cells including glia. In brain, viral antigen and inflammation reached a peak at day 5 postinfection, and rapidly subsided by day 10 postinfection. In spinal cord, viral antigen was less abundant than in brain and was maximal between days 7 and 9 postinfection. The inflammatory response and demyelination, however, were more severe persisting from day 7 through day 19. In the spinal cord, demyelinating lesions developed initially in areas closer to the central canal and were detected most prominently in the anterior funiculi. This finding suggests that the permissiveness of the ependymal cell is crucial to viral entry and that sequential infection of glial cells leads to the characteristic distribution of demyelination.     

Mechanism of Theiler's virus-induced demyelination in nude mice

In its natural murine host, infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) produces a chronic, progressive demyelinating disease. To help elucidate the role of host immune mechanisms involved in demyelination, we studied TMEV infection in Nude mice. These animals demonstrated rising titers of infectious virus within the central nervous system and failed to produce anti-TMEV antibody. Neurologic signs including the development of severe hind limb paralysis were evident approximately 2 weeks postinfection with most animals succumbing within the first month. Immunoperoxidase studies demonstrated viral antigen in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells for the entire period of observation. Plaques of demyelination associated with scanty inflammatory infiltrates were present in the spinal cord by 14 days postinfection. Electron microscopic studies of the involved white matter revealed numerous degenerating glial cells, many of which contained paracrystalline arrays of picornavirus within their cytoplasm. Some of the infected glial cells were identified as oligodendrocytes by demonstrating their myelin-plasma membrane connections. The studies indicate that in Nude mice TMEV causes a lytic infection of oligodendrocytes producing demyelination independent of the T lymphocyte immune system.     

Direct comparison of demyelinating disease induced by the Daniel's strain and BeAn strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus

We compared CNS disease following intracerebral injection of SJL mice with Daniel's (DA) and BeAn 8386 (BeAn) strains of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). In tissue culture, DA was more virulent then BeAn. There was a higher incidence of demyelination in the spinal cords of SJL/J mice infected with DA as compared to BeAn. However, the extent of demyelination was similar between virus strains when comparing those mice that developed demyelination. Even though BeAn infection resulted in lower incidence of demyelination in the spinal cord, these mice showed significant brain disease similar to that observed with DA. There was approximately 100 times more virus specific RNA in the CNS of DA infected mice as compared to BeAn infected mice. This was reflected by more virus antigen positive cells (macrophages/microglia and oligodendrocytes) in the spinal cord white matter of DA infected mice as compared to BeAn. There was no difference in the brain infiltrating immune cells of DA or BeAn infected mice. However, BeAn infected mice showed higher titers of TMEV specific antibody. Functional deficits as measured by Rotarod were more severe in DA infected versus BeAn infected mice. These findings indicate that the diseases induced by DA or BeAn are distinct.     

Detection of Tissue Culture-Adapted Theiler''s Virus RNA in Spinal Cord White Matter Cells Throughout Infection

The appearance of histological lesions and the localization of viral RNA in the central nervous system of mice infected with tissue culture-adapted Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (WW strain) (TMEV-WW) was studied. Viral RNA was detected by autoradiography after in situ hybridization, using a ³H-labeled DNA probe complementary to virion RNA, which was applied to deparaffinized sections of central nervous system tissues from infected mice. Subjacent histological sections of tissues were used to assess the location and extent of lesions. Lesions were first observed at 20 days post-inoculation and appeared to enlarge throughout infection. They consisted of infiltrates of mononuclear cells and lymphocytes in spinal cord white matter and leptomeninges; at 78 days post-inoculation severe necrotizing and demyelinative myelitis and gliosis were observed. In contrast to the pathogenesis of brain-derived TMEV-WW-infected mice, no lesions were found in the central nervous system gray matter of mice infected with tissue culture-adapted TMEV-WW at any time post-infection. Tissue culture-adapted viral RNA was found in the cells of spinal cord white matter throughout infection; only one neuron in close proximity to the injection site was found to contain viral RNA shortly after infection. At early times after infection, spinal cord white matter cells containing viral RNA were found before development of inflammatory lesions; at later days post-inoculation, positive cells were found within, at the periphery of, or at a distance from lesions. The number of infected cells and the amount of viral RNA per cell appeared to remain constant from 20 to 78 days post-inoculation despite the increasing intensity of the inflammatory response. The nearly exclusive spinal cord white matter tropism of tissue culture-adapted TMEV-WW appeared to directly correlate with the disease-inducing potential of this virus.     

Inhibition of Theiler's virus-induced demyelination in vivo by tumor necrosis factor alpha

Employing a murine model of multiple sclerosis which utilizes intracranial injection of Theiler's virus murine encephalomyelitis (TMEV) into SJL/J mice, we tested the potential role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in ameliorating CNS demyelination. Infection with TMEV caused early grey matter inflammation (7 days post-infection) in the brain and spinal cord followed by chronic demyelination (35 days post-infection) in the spinal cord. Administration of recombinant human or mouse TNF-alpha starting 12 h prior to infection and then three times weekly had minimal effect on development of grey matter inflammation in the spinal cord. In contrast, TNF-alpha dramatically reduced demyelination present in spinal cord on days 14 and 35 after TMEV infection (P less than 0.01) when compared to controls. CNS virus titers of TMEV were not modified by TNF-alpha administration as measured on days 7, 14, and 35 following infection. In vivo administration of TNF-alpha inhibits TMEV-induced demyelination in susceptible SJL/J mice without affecting virus replication in the CNS.     

Ultrastructural immunohistochemical localization of virus in acute and chronic demyelinating Theiler's virus infection.

Mice experimentally infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) develop a persistent infection of the central nervous system (CNS). The most striking feature of this infection is the occurrence of inflammatory primary demyelination in the spinal cord white matter. The pathogenesis of myelin degeneration in this model has not been clarified, but morphologic and immunologic data suggest that the host immune response plays a major role in the production of myelin injury. Because of low virus titers in infected adult mice and of the small size of TMEV, virus particles have never been observed in this demyelinating model. Yet elucidation of the types of cells in the CNS supporting virus replication would be important for a better understanding of both virus persistence and virus-induced demyelinating pathology. The present paper is a sequential study of the localization of TMEV in the spinal cord in infected mice by ultrastructural immunohistochemical techniques. Results indicate that virus replication is mainly in neurons during the acute phase of the disease, while in the chronic phase viral inclusions are mainly found in macrophages in and around demyelinating lesions. Other cells are also infected, but to a lesser degree. In the neuronal system both axoplasmic and dendritic flow appear to facilitate the spread of virus in the CNS. In macrophages, the presence of virus particles and the association of virus with altered components of the cytoskeleton support active virus production rather than simple internalization. The macrophage appears to play an important role in both the establishment of virus persistence and in the process of demyelination in this animal model.     

Uncoupled relationship between demyelination and primary infection of myelinating cells in Theiler''s virus encephalomyelitis.

Theiler's virus infection in mice produces a chronic demyelinating disease which appears to be based on an immune pathogenesis rather than on direct viral destruction of myelin-supporting cells. The purpose of the present study is to ascertain whether viral antigen is present in the cytoplasm of such cells in areas of demyelination. Because of the difficulty of identifying oligodendrocytes in tissues rich in infiltrating mononuclear cells and fixed for immunohistochemistry, I turned to a recently described form of Theiler's virus encephalomyelitis which follows inoculation with the attenuated ww strain and is characterized by extensive spinal cord remyelination by invading Schwann cells and by recurrent demyelination of Schwann cell-remyelinated axons. The unlabeled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique was employed to study whether such spinal cord Schwann cells were primarily infected by virus at the time when recurrent demyelination was occurring. Whereas other types of cells, including neurons, astrocytes, and macrophages, contained abundant viral antigen, no positive immune reaction was observed in Schwann cells. These results correlate with our previous studies which had suggested that demyelination in this viral model is not dependent on primary viral attack on myelinating cells but is probably dependent on the host immune response.     

Axonal injury heralds virus-induced demyelination

Axonal pathology has been highlighted as a cause of neurological disability in multiple sclerosis. The Daniels (DA) strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infects the gray matter of the central nervous system of mice during the acute phase and persistently infects the white matter of the spinal cord during the chronic phase, leading to demyelination. This experimental infection has been used as an animal model for multiple sclerosis. The GDVII strain causes an acute fatal polioencephalomyelitis without demyelination. Injured axons were detected in normal appearing white matter at 1 week after infection with DA virus by immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for neurofilament protein. The number of damaged axons increased throughout time. By 2 and 3 weeks after infection, injured axons were accompanied by parenchymal infiltration of Ricinus communis agglutinin I(+) microglia/macrophages, but never associated with perivascular T-cell infiltration or obvious demyelination until the chronic phase. GDVII virus infection resulted in severe axonal injury in normal appearing white matter at 1 week after infection, without the presence of macrophages, T cells, or viral antigen-positive cells. The distribution of axonal injury observed during the early phase corresponded to regions where subsequent demyelination occurs during the chronic phase. The results suggest that axonal injury might herald or trigger demyelination.     

Immunohistochemical localization of neurotropic ecotropic murine leukemia virus in moribund mice

The CasBrE strain of neurotropic ecotropic murine leukemia virus (NE-MuLV) infects susceptible mice and induces a noninflammatory, slowly degenerative nervous system disease. We employed immunohistochemistry to identify which cells in the nervous system and other tissues contained viral antigen in the chronically infected mouse. Rabbit antiserum to the virus was prepared using different combinations of whole virus and synthetic peptides corresponding to a 14-amino-acid sequence of the viral envelope protein. Twenty-four of forty-four (55%) mice neonates inoculated intracranially with NE-MuLV developed symptoms ranging from tremulousness to hindlimb paralysis within 3-9 months. They were subsequently sacrificed and their tissues used for histology and immunohistochemistry. The major locations of viral antigen outside of the central nervous system (CNS) were skeletal muscle and spleen. Skeletal muscle was the only non-nervous system tissue that exhibited degenerative changes as atrophy of viral antigen-bearing oxidative myofibers. In the CNS, viral antigen was detected in neurons, endothelium, and glial cells. Immunohistochemical double-labeling studies for viral antigen and the astrocytic marker glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP) demonstrated that the viral antigen-containing glia were oligodendrocytes and not astrocytes. Tissue damage in the brain consisted of vacuolar changes and gliosis principally in the brainstem. Viral antigen was most abundantly localized in these regions of pathologic change. In the spinal cord a different pattern was observed. Although tissue damage was observed throughout the cord, viral antigen was located at the border of the gray and white matter. These findings indicate direct and indirect virus-mediated mechanisms of damage to the CNS.     

Role of T cells in resistance to Theiler's virus infection.

Intracerebral infection of C57BL/10SNJ mice with Theiler's virus results in acute encephalitis with subsequent virus clearance and absence of spinal cord demyelination. In contrast, infection of SJL/J mice results in acute encephalitis, virus persistence, and immune-mediated demyelination. These experiments examined the role of T-cell subsets in the in vivo immune response to Theiler's virus in resistant C57BL/10SNJ mice. Depletion of T-cell subsets with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed at CD3 (pan-T-cell marker), CD4+ (class II-restricted) or CD8+ (class I-restricted) T cells resulted in increased frequency of paralysis and death as a result of acute encephalitis. Neuropathologic studies 10 days after infection demonstrated prominent necrosis, primarily in the pyramidal layer of hippocampus and in the thalamus of mice depleted of T-cell subsets. In immunosuppressed and infected C57BL/10SNJ mice, analysis of spinal cord sections 35 days after infection demonstrated small demyelinated lesions relatively devoid of inflammatory cells even though virus antigen could be detected by immunocytochemistry. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are important in the resistance to infection with Theiler's virus in C57BL/10SNJ mice. However, subsequent spinal cord demyelination, to the extent observed in susceptible mice, depends on the presence of virus antigen persistence and a competent cellular immune response.     

The nervous system in genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infections in mice. Lethal panmyelitis or nonlethal demyelinative myelitis or meningitis

Female mice were inoculated vaginally with the MS strain of herpes simplex virus type 2, and serially positive vaginal cultures were used to confirm infection. The proportion of mice infected and the mortality rate in infected mice decreased with increasing age. In mice 12 weeks old, clinical, neuropathologic, and virologic criteria defined four patterns of disease. Moribund mice had severe genital lesions, hindleg paralysis, and urinary and fecal retention, and most died during the second week of infection. These mice had a panmyelitis with a decreasing gradient of both viral antigen and lesions extending rostrally from the lumbosacral cord into the brain stem. Lesions were about equally distributed in gray and white matter and were characterized by neuronal loss and axonal demyelination, respectively. By contrast, mice with nonfatal infections had mild or no evident genital lesions and a small proportion had mild hindleg weakness. Of these, some mice had demyelinative lesions, particularly in the lower spinal cord but also at higher cord and brain stem levels, whereas others had leptomeningitis. Both of these groups had sacral sensory root abnormalities. A third group of survivors lacked both sensory root and central nervous system abnormalities. This report defines a broader spectrum of disease patterns following infection by a natural route than has been previously appreciated. It provides the first evidence that nonfatal herpes simplex virus type 2 infection by a peripheral route can produce central nervous system demyelination. It indicates that in aseptic meningitis with this agent, the route of virus spread to the central nervous system is neural and not hematogenous. Finally, the antigenic and pathologic observations presented here complement and confirm the virus isolation data and pathologic findings of others that genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infection causes ascending infection in the peripheral and central nervous system.     

The infection of mouse by Theiler's virus: from genetics to immunology

Theiler's virus is a picornavirus of mouse which Closes U ac UK encephalomyelitis followed by a persistent infection of the white matter o f the spinal cord with chronic inflammation and demyelination. This Ute disease is studied as a model for multiple sclerosis. Inbred strains of mice differ in their susceptibility to persistent infection and demyelination, Resistant strains clear the infection after the acute encephalomyelitis. This observation is the basis of genetic studies which we used as a thread for this review. The H-2D locus has a major effect on susceptibility. The H-2D^b gene is involved in a fast and intense CTL response which confers resistance. The Tcrb locus is also implicated, although there is no proof that the susceptibility gene in this region co des for the T-cell receptor. A complete screen of the genome uncovered the role of the Ing locus and led to the demonstration that IFN-γ limits viral spread in the white matter. The roles of NK cells and B cells in limiting the infection are discussed. CD4+ T cells participate both in protection against the infection and in demyelination. Finally, the effect of non-immune factors in resistance is illustrated by mice with mutations in the MBP or PLP gene.     

Characterization of chemokines and chemokine receptors in two murine models of inflammatory bowel disease: IL-10-/- mice and Rag-2-/- mice reconstituted with CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells

We used quantitative PCR to investigate the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors in two Th1-mediated murine models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). First, mRNA levels encoding the chemokines MIG, RANTES, lymphotactin, MIP-3alpha, TCA-3, TARC, MIP-3beta, LIX, MCP-1 and MIP-1beta and the receptors CCR4, CCR6 and CCR2 were significantly increased in chronically inflamed colons of IL-10-/- mice when compared with wildtype mice. Interestingly, reversal of colitis in IL-10-/- mice by anti-IL-12 mAb was accompanied by the inhibition in the expression of LIX, lymphotactin, MCP-1, MIG, MIP-3alpha, MIP-3beta, TCA-3, CCR2 and CCR4, whereas the increased mRNA levels of MIP-1beta, RANTES, TARC and CCR6 were unaffected. Second, to investigate which chemokines and receptors were up-regulated during the inductive phase of colitis, we employed the CD4+CD45RBhigh T cell transfer model. At 4 and 8 weeks after reconstitution of Rag-2-/- mice the mRNA levels of IP-10, MCP-1, MDC, MIG, TARC, RANTES, CCR4 and CCR5 were significantly increased prior to the appearance of macroscopic lesions. Other chemokines and chemokine receptors were clearly associated with the acute phase of the disease when lesions were evident. The sum of our studies with these two models identifies chemokines that are expressed at constant levels, irrespective of inflammatory responses, and those that are specifically associated with acute and/or chronic stages of Th1-driven colitis.     

Murine central nervous system infection by a viral temperature-sensitive mutant: a subacute disease leading to demyelination.

Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of viruses may represent an important mechanism for viral persistence. Ts mutants of different complementation groups of vesicular stomatitus virus (VSV) have shown various disease patterns in infected mice which were at variance with the clinical and pathologic features of wild-type virus infection. To investigate whether neurovirulence of different ts mutants was dependent on the individual mutant or on the biochemical defect(s) common to all members of a complementation group, we infected mice with ts G32 VSV, a mutant of the same complementation group III as the previously described ts G31 VSV. Pathologic changes in infected mice were sharply different from those produced by ts G31 VSV and actually similar to those produced by ts G41 VSV, a member of Complementation Group IV, also previously described. These results suggest that the biologic behavior of ts mutants is dependent on the individual characteristics of each mutant. The most important alterations by ts G32 VSV were in the white matter of brain and spinal cord, where extensive inflammatory demyelination was observed. Lack of inflammation and demyelination in similarly infected nude mice would suggest that, in this infection, demyelination is produced by the host immune response rather than by direct viral myelinolytic activity. Such findings are similar to those we described in other viral infections and support the hypothesis of a common host-mediated pathway leading to demyelination in a variety of unrelated viral infections. These conclusions may have relevance to human demyelinating diseases.