Infection of highly differentiated human and guinea pig astrocytes with herpes simplex and measles viruses

The morphogenesis of type I herpes simplex virus and measles virus (Edmonston strain) is studied in primary cultures of highly differentiated human and guinea pig astrocytes. It is shown that astrocytes are involved in infection. Under varied conditions of inoculation, herpes simplex virus causes acute infection, while measles virus induces both acute and chronic infection. Chronic infection is associated with impaired assembly of virions, accumulation of thickened ribonucleoproteins (25–37 nm in diameter) in the cytoplasm, and budding of “empty” viral particles into the extracellular space. Persisting measles virus reactivates 78±9.4% of cells, which is accompanied by hypertrophy and hyperproduction of the glial fibrillar acid protein. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 10, pp. 413–417, October, 1996