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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Ex Vivo Infection of Murine Epidermis with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
Published on: August 24, 2015
INCLUSION BODIES IN EXPERIMENTAL HERPETIC INFECTION OF RABBITS
1Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
Abstract:
We have thus far failed to observe any inclusion bodies in herpetic lesions which in our opinion may properly be interpreted as microorganisms. Concerning the exact nature of the granules so fully reported by others before us, we hesitate to commit ourselves other than to indicate certain points of resemblance to nuclear débris, red blood cells in the process of phagocytosis, mitochondria, pigment, the "methylene blue granules" of neuroglia cells, and the Russell bodies of plasma cells. Obviously, the fact that the individual granules in a section stain in the same way by Giemsa's method, or the technique of Borrel, and look alike is no good reason to suppose that they are of the same composition. We suspect that several of our methods of staining depend more upon physical forces than upon the actual chemical constitution of the substances which become colored. So that granules which stain alike may not only differ in composition but may also have been recruited from different sources. This fact makes inferential chemical analysis extremely difficult since it is next to impossible to superpose all our reactions upon a single granule of microscopic size. Consequently, if we apply one microchemical test to a group of granules, another test to another group, and so on, we cannot be sure that we have been dealing throughout with the same substance or substances. It is our belief that the inclusions which are so abundant in herpetic lesions do not represent a concrete class of granulations sui generis but that they are of variable composition and are derived from several sources.
Insights
Researchers found that granules in herpetic lesions are not microorganisms but vary in composition and origin. These findings challenge previous interpretations of inclusion bodies in herpes infections.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Histopathology
Background:
- Herpetic lesions have been reported to contain inclusion bodies.
- The exact nature and origin of these granules remain unclear.
- Previous studies have suggested various interpretations for these cellular inclusions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the composition and origin of granules observed in herpetic lesions.
- To determine if these granules represent microorganisms or other cellular components.
- To clarify the nature of inclusion bodies in herpes simplex virus infections.
Main Methods:
- Microscopic examination of herpetic lesions.
- Staining techniques (Giemsa, Borrel) to analyze granule characteristics.
- Comparison of granule morphology with known cellular structures and debris.
Main Results:
- No inclusion bodies definitively interpretable as microorganisms were observed.
- Granules exhibited resemblances to nuclear debris, phagocytosed red blood cells, mitochondria, pigment, neuroglia granules, and Russell bodies.
- Staining similarities did not guarantee identical composition or origin due to reliance on physical forces in staining methods.
Conclusions:
- Inclusions in herpetic lesions are not a distinct class of granules (sui generis).
- These granules are of variable composition and derived from multiple sources.
- The heterogeneity of these inclusions complicates inferential chemical analysis.
