No abstract

PC12 cells derived rom rat pheochromocytoma and C6 cells derived from rat glioma were infected with 0.3 plaque forming units (PFU)/cell of the D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC-D), after pretreatment with or without nerve growth factor (NGF). The virus titres in medium and cells were investigated at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post infection (HPI), and histopathology and viral antigens in cells were examined at 24 and 48 HPI, respectively. As a result, neither viral replication nor light and electron microscopic changes were observed in PC12 cell cultures without NGF-pretreatment. On the contrary, in PC12 cell cultures with NGF-pretreatment, the virus titre prominently increased at 12 HPI, and peaked at 48 HPI. In addition, distinct histological and ultrastructural changes with viral antigens in cells were observed. C6 cells showed similar morphology and susceptibility to EMC-D-infection irrespective of NGF-pretreatment. Namely, the virus titres in C6 cell cultures increased slightly and viral antigens were found in a small number of C6 cells, but there were no evident histological and ultrastructural changes. These results suggest that PC12 cells pretreated with NGF and C6 cells are susceptible to EMC-D infection in vitro.

Replication of the D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC-D) and its cytopathic effects were studied in the brain slice cultures including hippocampus (hippocampal slice) obtained from postnatal 1-, 4-, 7-, 14-, 28-and 56-day-old Fischer 344 rats. At 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after infection, virus titres of the slices and culture media were assayed. Viral replication was observed in cultures from 1-to 28-day-old rats, and the highest titre was recorded in the slice and culture medium from the youngest rat. The peak of virus titre decreased with age and no distinct viral replication was observed in the cultures from 56-day-old rats. Light microscopy revealed that degenerative and necrotic changes appeared in the infected hippocampal slices from 1- to 28-day-old rats, and the changes became less prominent with age. In situ hybridization and indirect immunofluorescence staining showed that positive signals of viral RNA and antigen were prominent in younger rats and decreased with age. These results suggest that an age-related decrease in the susceptibility of rat brain to EMC-D is less related to the maturation of the immune system but possibly to that of the neurone.