[Intracerebral infection of athymic mice with an attenuated strain of Junín virus]

Infection of newborn immunocompetent (nu/+) mice with the XJ prototype strain of Junin virus, etiological agent of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever, produces a lethal meningo-encephalitis due to cellular immune response. The same strain inoculated into athymic (nu/nu) mice produces an asymptomatic persistent infection. The purpose of this work was to determine the nu/nu mice response when infected with XJCl3, an attenuated Junin virus strain, since this strain behaves differently to the pathogenic prototype in various experimental hosts and humans. Fifty five suckling nu/nu mice and 45 nu/+ were inoculated intracerebrally with 10(3) PFU of the XJCl3 strain. Twenty nu/nu and 20 nu/+ were kept as uninoculated controls. Similar percentages of mortality were recorded for nu/nu and nu/+ infected animals (86 and 87%). In contrast, no morbi-mortality was detected in control animals which were kept in the same animal room. High virus titers were detected in brains and lungs of infected nu/nu at 7, 14, 21 and 70 days post-infection(pi). Virus titers in blood were 1 log lower than those found in organs. Immunohistochemical studies of brains showed viral antigen in the cytoplasm of cortical neurons at 21 and 70 days pi. An interstitial pneumonitis was detected in lungs of infected nu/nu at 7 and 21 days pi, while no lesions were observed in brains and spleens. Results show that the XJl3 strain behaves in a very different way in newborn nu/nu mice as the XJ prototype strain. Further studies are necessary to determine the pathogenic mechanisms involved.