Related Experiment Videos
Cytomegalovirus isolation from a chimpanzee with acute demyelinating disease after inoculation of multiple sclerosis
Abstract:
A strain of cytomegalovirus (CMV) was isolated during the third subcultivation of explants from the left frontal lobe of a chimpanzee that developed paralysis more than 3 years after intracerebral inoculation at birth with brain cell cultures derived from a patient with multiple sclerosis. Another strain of CMV was also isolated from a lymph node culture taken from the same chimp. The isolates, designated MZM-13 and MZM-14, produced a cytopathic effect characteristic for CMV when inoculated into brain, ganglion, or fibroblast cultures of human or simian origin. Infected cells contained characteristic Cowdry A intranuclear as well as intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies, and 100-nm spherical herpes-like virus particles were detected by electron microscopy in the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected cells. Virus was further identified as CMV with convalescent human anti-CMV serum. Complement-fixing antibody to CMV was present at a titer of 1:32 when the acutely ill chimpanzee was sacrificed. No antibody was detected at birth or at 1 or 2 years of age. A newborn chimpanzee inoculated intracerebrally with MZM-13 developed clinically asymptomatic lesions in the central nervous system characterized by acute and chronic inflammation and degeneration of myelin in cranial and spinal nerve roots. Restriction endonuclease analysis of viral deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from these two viruses indicated that MZM-13 and MZM-14 are identical and are closely related to chimpanzee CMV. No similarity in restriction endonuclease fragment patterns was found between MZM virus and the Towne and Clegg strains of human CMV.
Insights
Researchers isolated cytomegalovirus (CMV) from a chimpanzee with paralysis. This CMV strain, MZM-13, caused central nervous system lesions in a newborn chimpanzee, indicating potential neuroinflammatory effects.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common herpesvirus with diverse clinical manifestations.
- The potential for CMV to cause neurological disease, particularly in non-human primates, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a novel cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain from a chimpanzee exhibiting neurological symptoms.
- To evaluate the neurovirulence and pathogenicity of the isolated CMV strain in a susceptible host.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and cultivation of CMV from chimpanzee tissue explants and lymph node cultures.
- Inoculation of human and simian cell cultures to assess cytopathic effects and viral identification via electron microscopy and serological assays.
- Intracerebral inoculation of a newborn chimpanzee with the isolated CMV strain and subsequent neuropathological examination.
Main Results:
- Two CMV strains, MZM-13 and MZM-14, were isolated and identified, showing characteristic CMV cytopathic effects and inclusion bodies.
- Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of herpes-like virus particles, and serological tests identified the virus as CMV.
- Inoculation of a newborn chimpanzee with MZM-13 resulted in asymptomatic central nervous system lesions, including inflammation and myelin degeneration.
Conclusions:
- The isolated MZM-13 and MZM-14 CMV strains are identical, closely related to chimpanzee CMV, but distinct from human CMV strains.
- The MZM-13 CMV strain demonstrated neuroinvasive and neuroinflammatory potential in a primate model, highlighting the importance of studying CMV in neurological contexts.