Prevalence and Pathologic Characterization of Mouse Kidney Parvovirus in Sentinel CD1 Mice

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
• Animal Models

Background:

• Mouse kidney parvovirus (MKPV) causes significant kidney disease in immunodeficient mice.
• In immunocompetent mice, MKPV infection typically presents with mild interstitial nephritis without inclusion bodies.
• Understanding MKPV transmission and prevalence is vital for maintaining research colony health and data integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the prevalence of MKPV in research mouse colonies using sentinel mice.
• To assess the association between MKPV infection and kidney histopathology in immunocompetent mice.
• To evaluate the utility of CD1 mice as sentinels for MKPV detection.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative PCR was used to detect MKPV in feces, kidneys, and livers of sentinel CD1 mice over 18 months.
• Sentinel mice were housed on the same racks as research mice to monitor environmental contamination.
• Histopathological examination of kidneys and livers was performed to correlate MKPV presence with lesions.

Main Results:

• MKPV was detected in 22.64% of sentinel mouse samples, with 32.04% of rooms testing positive.
• MKPV-positive kidneys showed significantly more severe chronic lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis (CLIN) than negative controls.
• MKPV RNA was detected in tubular epithelial cells of positive kidneys, but no overt inclusion bodies were observed.

Conclusions:

• MKPV is readily transmitted via soiled bedding, and CD1 mice effectively serve as sentinels for its detection.
• MKPV infection in immunocompetent mice is associated with mild to moderate kidney inflammation (CLIN).
• MKPV presence can potentially confound the interpretation of in vivo research data, necessitating vigilant monitoring.