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The effects of antipyretics on influenza virus encephalitis in mice and chicks
Yuji Sunden1, C H Park, Kazuya Matsuda
1Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Abstract:
To investigate the effect of antipyretics on the murine and poultry models of influenzal encephalitis, we injected large quantities of antipyretics, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and dicrofenac sodium (voltaren). The effect of antipyretic treatment on the murine encephalitis model was unremarkable histologically and immunohistochemically. Whereas in chicks, CNS lesions consisting of perivascular cuffing and gliosis appeared only in those animals treated with the antipyretics and viral antigen was detected mainly in the nuclei of glial cells or vascular endothelia of voltaren-treated animals. We here demonstrate that antipyretic treatment aggravated the hematogenous spread of the influenza virus to the CNS in chicks, but did not affect the transneural infection in mice.
Insights
Antipyretic drugs like aspirin aggravated influenza virus spread to the central nervous system (CNS) in chicks, causing lesions. However, these drugs did not impact CNS infection in mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Virology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Influenza virus can cause encephalitis, a serious CNS infection.
- Antipyretics are commonly used to manage fever associated with viral infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of antipyretics on influenzal encephalitis in mouse and chick models.
- To determine if antipyretics affect viral spread to the central nervous system.
Main Methods:
- Mice and chicks were treated with acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) or diclofenac sodium (voltaren).
- Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to assess CNS lesions and viral antigen presence.
Main Results:
- Antipyretic treatment showed no significant effect on the murine encephalitis model.
- In chicks, antipyretics led to CNS lesions (perivascular cuffing, gliosis) and increased viral antigen detection.
- Antipyretics aggravated hematogenous spread of influenza virus to the CNS in chicks.
Conclusions:
- Antipyretic administration worsened influenza virus encephalitis in chicks.
- Antipyretics did not affect transneural influenza virus infection in mice.
- Caution is advised when using antipyretics in avian models of influenza encephalitis.
