Comparative analysis of coronavirus JHM-induced demyelinating encephalomyelitis in Lewis and Brown Norway rats

Lewis and Brown Norway rats were infected at different ages with the neurotropic murine coronavirus strain, JHM and the resultant central nervous system diseases were studied. Suckling rats of both strains came down with a fatal, acute encephalomyelitis. Weanling Lewis rats developed a subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis which neuropathologically revealed changes of an immunopathologic reaction. In contrast, Brown Norway rats developed a clinically silent subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis with a persistent JHM virus infection which was less severe and quite different from the subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats with respect to size, distribution, and localization of the demyelinating plaques as well as the type of infiltrating cells. In addition, infected Lewis rats showed a pronounced lymphocyte proliferation to myelin basic protein and JHM virus whereas lymphocytes from infected Brown Norway rats did not react to these two antigens. These observations demonstrate the pathogenetic importance of host factors in the development of virus-induced demyelination.