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Differences between young and aged mice in susceptibility to Friend virus
D R Stewart1, D A Kirschmann, K J Blank
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Mouse age influences Friend virus (FV) susceptibility. Younger mice generally show higher FV replication and disease severity, but this effect varies by genetic background, impacting erythroleukemia development.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Genetics
Background:
- Friend virus (FV) causes erythroleukemia in mice by infecting red blood cell progenitors.
- Host genetic loci influence FV disease progression, target cell differentiation, and viral replication.
- Host age may alter the expression of these genetic loci, potentially affecting FV disease outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of host age on Friend virus replication and disease severity.
- To determine if age-related changes in genetic loci expression influence susceptibility to FV-induced erythroleukemia.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated FV expression across four genetically diverse mouse strains of varying ages.
- Measured spleen focus-forming units (SFFU), spleen weight, and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in target organs to assess viral replication and disease extent.
Main Results:
- Young DBA/2 and (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 mice demonstrated higher FV replication and disease parameters compared to aged mice.
- CBA/Ca mice showed a slight age-related increase in spleen weight and SFFU, but RT activity was not definitively age-dependent.
- Genetically resistant C57BL/6 mice exhibited minimal FV replication, unaffected by age.
Conclusions:
- Both host age and genetic background are critical factors modulating susceptibility to Friend virus.
- Age can significantly influence the level of viral replication and disease severity in susceptible mouse models.