The Effect of Para-Influenza Type 1 (Sendai) Virus Infection on Early Pregnancy in the Rat

Abstract

Infection of rats, 4 to 5 days pregnant, with aerosols of Sendai virus induced resorption of all embryos in nine out of the twelve animals examined.Virus was recovered from the conceptus of only one of fourteen additional rats, although each was shown to have the agent in the lungs.

Babies of Mothers With Leprosy Have Small Placentae, Low Birth Weights and Grow Slowly

“…It could be that the women with lepromatous leprosy were more ill than those with tuberculoid leprosy, and that the severity of their infection resulted in low birth weight of the baby. Such a finding was recorded by Coid and Wardman (1971), who reported that the severity of a maternal infection with para-influenza affected the fetus without the infecting virus being isolated from the conceptus. The sickness of lepromatous patients can be assessed directly in terms of bacillary load and indirectly in terms of nutritional status.…”

Elimination of Sendai (parainfluenza type 1) virus infection from mice by embryo transfer

“…How¬ ever, Ohba (1959) did not claim that they were caused by direct virus infection of the embryo, but more probably by the indirect effect of the bronchopneumonia on the mother during pregnancy. Similarly, Coid & Wardman (1971) found that infection of rats with Sendai virus on Days 4 or 5 of pregnancy resulted in résorption of embryos. Virus was isolated from only 1 of 9 gravid uteri examined.…”

“…Sendai virus (parainfluenza 1) obtained from the Public Health Laboratories, Colindale, London, U.K., was propagated as described by Coid & Wardman (1971) in the allantoic cavity of 10-day-old embryonated hens' eggs (Wickham Laboratory, Wickham, Hampshire, U.K.).…”

“…Half of each sample was injected into the allantoic cavity of 10-day-old embryonated hens' eggs and the resultant allantoic fluids were tested as described by Coid & Wardman (1971). The remaining 0-5 ml of each sample was inoculated intranasally into MF1 mice as a mouse antibody production test (Parker & Reynolds, 1968).…”

Potential detrimental effects of rodent viral infections on long-term experiments

“…Sendai virus infection in pregnant rats results in impaIred fetal developmental and neonatal mortality (Coid & Wardman, 1971). Infection of pregnant rats in the early stage of gestation results in resorption of embryos, whereas infection at a later stage increases the gestation period and neonatal mortality.…”