Summary
Suckling mice were inoculated intradermally with herpes simplex virus into the sole of the hind foot. Titrations for infective virus from different levels of the sciatic nerve, dorsal ganglia, and spinal cord showed that virus was already present in the spinal cord two days after inoculation, and before virus could be recovered from the examined levels of the sciatic nerve. Ligatures, freezing, and local treatment with colchicine of the sciatic nerve could prevent the spread of infection. The ultrastructural features of nerves soaked with mitosis inhibitors are described. Extensive changes with ultimate collapse of axons and disintegration of myelin sheaths were found, while the Schwann cells showed no obvious degenerative changes and the endoneurial spaces were wide. It is considered that the infectious agent travels inside the axons to the CNS, and that a spread of virus in endoneurial spaces or by propagation in Schwann cells, as recently has been suggested, is of minor importance. The study seems to provide evidence that inside the axons a transport of materials directed disto-proximally all the way to the nerve cell body exists.
Zusammenfassung
Saugmäuse wurden intradermal in die Sohle des Hinterbeines mit Herpes simplex-Virus inoculiert. Titrationen auf das infektiöse Virus in verschiedenen Höhen des N. ischiadicus, der Dorsalganglien und des Rückenmarks zeigten, daß das Virus im Rückenmark schon 2 Tage nach der Inoculation, und ehe es in verschiedenen Abschnitten des N. ischiadicus nachgewiesen werden konnte, vorhanden war. Ligaturen, Durchfrieren und örtliche Behandlung des N. ischiadicus mit Colchicin konnte die Infektionsausbreitung verhindern. Die ultrastrukturellen Veränderungen der mit Mitosehemmern durchtränkten Nerven werden beschrieben. Es fanden sich starke Veränderungen der Axone mit schließlichem Kollaps sowie Desintegration der Markscheiden, während die Schwann-Zellen keine auffälligen degenerativen Veränderungen zeigten und die Endoneuralräume weit waren. Es wird angenommen, daß das infektiöse Agens innerhalb der Axone zum ZNS wandert und daß eine Ausbreitung des Virus, in den Endoneuralräumen oder in den Schwann-Zellen, wie es kürzlich vermutet worden war, von geringerer Bedeutung ist. Die Studie scheint den Nachweis zu erbringen, daß ein distoproximaler Materialtransport innerhalb der Axone bis zum Nervenzellkörper stattfindet.
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This study was supported by grants B 70-12X-82-06, B 70-13X-2226-04 B and B 70-14X-2728-02B from the Swedish Medical Research Council.
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Kristensson, K., Lycke, E. & Sjöstrand, J. Spread of herpes simplex virus in peripheral nerves. Acta Neuropathol 17, 44–53 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684740
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684740