Behavioural effects produced in mice infected with venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus

Pixuna, a strain of intermediate virulence of venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus, was inoculated intracranially to 24-day-old mice. Signs of encephalitis were present in 60% of the animals between 6 and 9 days with a maximum at 7 days postinoculation. The rest of the infected mice did not show clinical signs of encephalitis. In order to study the functional state of serotonergic systems a series of tests susceptible to modifications by serotonin activity were carried out. Locomotor activity was measured in an open field test. Virus-inoculated animals presented a variety of changes in their locomotor behavior at various days postinoculation with respect to the sham-inoculated group, however, they were not significant. Central serotonergic function was examined by the production of the serotonergic syndrome with the receptor agonist, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and the precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan, both administered 4 days after the inoculation. The dose of the agonists was established by a prior drug-response analysis. Intensity of the syndrome was significantly higher in infected mice than in the sham-inoculated group only in 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-treated animals. The behaviour in the swim test was also measured. Duration of immobility was much shorter in infected than in control mice. The decrease in central serotonin turnover previously reported might be responsible for the modification in locomotor behaviour and for the supersensitivity of serotonin receptors observed in infected mice.