Occurrence of spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis of the central nervous system in fetal hamsters

Abstract

Lesions of hamster fetal neuraxial tissues, characterized by multifocal and coalescent zones of hemorrhage, edema, and necrosis in the cerebral mantle, brainstem, and spinal cord, were observed in experiments designed to test the teratogenicity of potato preparations. Retrospective and prospective data indicated, however, that the potato preparations were not responsible but that the disease occurred spontaneously in the colony and was associated with direct breeding contact of virgin females with certain males. Observations suggest that an infectious agent may be responsible, but no agent was recovered. Immunofluorescence assay of inoculated cultures indicated that reovirus was not present in affected fetal tissues.

Hemorrhagic Necrosis of the Central Nervous System

“…Since late 1972, when this disease spontaneously regressed in the three commercial colonies from which we had been receiving affected hamsters, our studies of it have been limited. In 1973 [ l l ] and again in 1975 [8], however, a new outbreak was reported among hamsters from another commercial source. Initial studies seemed to indicate that females at their first pregnancy delivered affected litters only when mated with a specific group of males that appeared to carry this disease.…”

“…It disappeared spontaneously and has not reappeared in hamsters purchased from the original sources. Since that time other outbreaks of this disease have occurred in another laboratory [8]. Because the disease can reappear and affects a high percentage of pregnant hamsters, it is worthy of intensive study.…”