Use of viral infections in animal models to assess changes in the immune system

Viral infections in animal models appear to be ideal systems for determining toxicity to the immune system by environmental substances. Since many viral infections that are utilized in animals produce systemic disease, these models provide an opportunity to evaluate the interaction between virus and components of host resistance. In these infections it is possible to delineate the role of antibody, interferon, cell-mediated immunity, neutrophils and macrophages in response to infection. A change in any of these components responsible for resistance to a particular virus may be correlated with an alteration of mortality an pathogenesis of the viral infection. Three experimental viral infections in mice that are potential candidates for use in determining immunotoxicity are discussed in terms of the response of individual components of resistance to infection and how changes in there components result in alterations of viral pathogenesis. The resistance to encephalomyocarditis virus infection in mice appears to be primarily mediated by antibody and interferon while with herpes simplex virus, infections are mainly controlled through cell-mediated immunity, macrophages, and possible interferon. Cellular immunity also appears to be primarily responsible for resistance to cytomegalovirus infections. Therefore, it is important in the use of these systems for evaluating immunotoxicity to define the pathogenesis of the viral infection and the specific host responses to these infections and to be able to correlate a change in host resistance with an alteration of the viral infection.