Detection of bovine respiratory syncytial virus in experimentally infected balb/c mice

Vet Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;35(2):189-97. doi: 10.1051/vetres:2004003.

Abstract

The present study used an RT-nested-PCR and an immunohistochemistry assay to detect bovine respiratory syncytial virus in tissues from experimentally infected balb/c mice. As a first step, Chicken Embryo Related (CER) cell monolayers infected with the BRSV-25-BR strain isolated in Brazil were used for antigen production. Then, the infected lung and tracheal tissues of female balb/c mice were collected on 3, 5, 7 and 10 days post-infection and submitted to both techniques. Primers specific to F and G genes that amplify fragments of 481 bp and 371 bp, respectively, were used. The BRSV detection was not successful in all of the animals tested. The genomic fragment of the G gene from the organs of some infected mice on all analyzed post-infection days was amplified. However, in the RT-nested-PCR corresponding to the F gene, it was not possible to observe any amplified fragment. This was probably due to the higher sensitivity of the developed technique to amplify the fragment corresponding to the G gene compared to the F gene. Moreover, only three of the lungs collected five days post-infection were positive by immunohistochemistry. To the author's knowledge, this is the first study reporting bovine respiratory syncytial virus detection in balb/c mice after experimental inoculation.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / virology*
  • Chick Embryo / virology
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • Female
  • Immunohistochemistry / veterinary
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / veterinary*
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / virology
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Bovine / genetics
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Bovine / isolation & purification*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms

Substances

  • DNA, Viral