1. Impairment in Neurocognitive Function Following Experimental Neonatal Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus Infection
- Author
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Shuxian Hu, Lucy E. Meyer, Claudia Fernández-Alarcón, Bradley C. Janus, Michael A. McVoy, Mark R. Schleiss, James R. Lokensgard, Michael A. Benneyworth, and Kaitlyn M. Anderholm
- Subjects
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Guinea Pigs ,Congenital cytomegalovirus infection ,Morris water navigation task ,Cytomegalovirus ,Viremia ,Spleen ,CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Antibodies, Viral ,Article ,Guinea pig ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,030225 pediatrics ,medicine ,Animals ,Maze Learning ,business.industry ,Histology ,Fibroblasts ,Viral Load ,medicine.disease ,Luminescent Proteins ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Animals, Newborn ,Neurology ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,business ,Viral load ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,CD8 - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading infectious cause of neurologic deficits, both in the settings of congenital and perinatal infection, but few animal models exist to study neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study examined the impact of neonatal guinea pig CMV (GPCMV) infection on spatial learning and memory in a Morris water maze (MWM) model. METHODS: Newborn pups were challenged intraperitoneally (ip) with a pathogenic red fluorescent protein (RFP)-tagged GPCMV, or sham-inoculated. On days 15–19 post-infection (pi), pups were tested in the MWM. Viral loads were measured in blood and tissue by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and brain samples collected at necropsy were examined by histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Viremia (DNAemia) was detected at day 3 pi in 7/8 challenged animals. End-organ dissemination was observed, by qPCR, in lung, liver, and spleen. CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell infiltrates were present in brains of challenged animals, particularly in periventricular and hippocampal regions. Reactive gliosis and microglial nodules were observed. Statistically significant spatial learning and memory deficits were observed by MWM, particularly for total maze distance travelled (p
- Published
- 2020