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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

A Primary Neuron Culture System for the Study of Herpes Simplex Virus Latency and Reactivation
Published on: April 2, 2012
Immunization with a nonpathogenic HSV-1 strain prevents clinical and neuroendocrine changes of experimental HSV-1
Tamir Ben-Hur1, Anna Itzik, Ohr Barak
1Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospital, P.O. Box 12,000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. tamir@hadassah.org.il
Abstract:
We examined whether immunization with the nonpathogenic strain R-15 of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) may prevent the clinical and neuroendocrine changes induced by the pathogenic HSV-1 strain Syn17+. Inoculation of strain Syn17+ to control rats induced fever, marked motor hyperactivity and aggressive behavior, and increased serum ACTH, corticosterone (CS) and brain prostaglandin-E2 production. Mortality was 100%. Immunization with strain R-15 prior to challenge with Syn17+ induced the production of neutralizing antibodies to HSV-1 Syn17+, and abolished the above clinical and neuroendocrine changes. Mortality was completely prevented. These results indicate that immunization with HSV-1 strain R-15 protects rats from lethal HSV-1 encephalitis and prevents its clinical and neurochemical manifestations.
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