Effect of severe food restriction on the gut following rotavirus infection in mice

The effect of severe food restriction on the histopathology of the gut following infection with epizootic diarrhoea of infant mice (EDIM) rotavirus was studied in mice. Over a period of 12 weeks, weanling mice were fed either 70 or 50% of the diet eaten by a control group on the previous day. After 11 weeks of feeding, animals were given 30 microliters/mouse of EDIM rotavirus orally and the histopathology of the gut and lymphoid organs examined. The histology of the spleen and thymus of different dietary groups appeared normal and no changes were observed due to the rotavirus challenge. Both the control and 70% food group had normal villi in the small intestine. In contrast there was severe atrophy of the villi in the animals whose intake was reduced by 50%. No additional damage to the villi was seen in association with the rotavirus infection. It is concluded that a prolonged, balanced reduction in food intake can itself cause villous atrophy in the gut but following rotavirus infection, adult animals were able to resist further villous damage.