Ultrastructure of cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus

Minguetti, Guilberto; Hofmeister, Robin M.; Hayashi, Yasuyoshi; Montaño, Juan A.

doi:10.1590/S0004-282X1997000500002

Abstracts

The V and VII cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus were studied by electron microscopy. The results were compared with the same cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus but vaccinated against the disease. The findings are those of axonal degeneration and intense demyelination of the nerves of the group of rats not vaccinated. The vaccinated rats showed some ultrastructural irrelevant alterations when compared with the other group. The degree of ultrastructural alterations found in the group of rats not vaccinated suggests that in rabies severe damage of the cranial nerves occurs and that this may be closely related to the clinical picture of the disease (hydrophobia). Furthermore, as far as the authors know, this has not been considered in the classic descriptions of rabies and it is possible that an immunologic process may take part in the demyelination observed in the present study.

rabies; cranial nerves; electron microscopy

Os autores estudaram o quinto e o sétimo nervos cranianos de ratos inoculados com o vírus da raiva. Os resultados foram comparados com os mesmos nervos cranianos de ratos inoculados com o vírus da raiva, porém vacinados contra a doença. Os achados no grupo não vacinado foram de degeneração axonal e intensa desmielinização dos nervos examinados. No grupo vacinado foram encontrados apenas discretas alterações da mielina, sem relevância do ponto de vista patológico. As grandes alterações ultraestruturais encontradas no grupo de ratos não vacinados sugerem que na raiva ocorram acentuadas alterações nos nervos cranianos e que tais alterações devem estar intimamente relacionadas ao quadro clínico da doença (hidrofobia). Além disso, é possível que tais alterações estejam associadas a um processo imunológico responsável também por acometimento sistêmico dos nervos periféricos.

raiva; nervos cranianos; microscopia eletrônica

Ultrastructure of cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus

Ultraestrutura de nervos cranianos de ratos inoculados com o vírus da raiva

Guilberto Minguetti^I; Robin M. Hofmeister^II; Yasuyoshi Hayashi^III; Juan A. Montaño^III

^INeurologic Clinic of the Federal University of Paraná: Adjunct Professor, Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil

^IINeurologic Clinic of the Federal University of Paraná: Electron Microscopy Center of the Federal University of Paraná. Brazil

^IIINeurologic Clinic of the Federal University of Paraná: lnstitute of Technology of the Paraná State, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The V and VII cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus were studied by electron microscopy. The results were compared with the same cranial nerves of rats inoculated with rabies virus but vaccinated against the disease. The findings are those of axonal degeneration and intense demyelination of the nerves of the group of rats not vaccinated. The vaccinated rats showed some ultrastructural irrelevant alterations when compared with the other group. The degree of ultrastructural alterations found in the group of rats not vaccinated suggests that in rabies severe damage of the cranial nerves occurs and that this may be closely related to the clinical picture of the disease (hydrophobia). Furthermore, as far as the authors know, this has not been considered in the classic descriptions of rabies and it is possible that an immunologic process may take part in the demyelination observed in the present study.

Key-words: rabies, cranial nerves, electron microscopy.

RESUMO

Os autores estudaram o quinto e o sétimo nervos cranianos de ratos inoculados com o vírus da raiva. Os resultados foram comparados com os mesmos nervos cranianos de ratos inoculados com o vírus da raiva, porém vacinados contra a doença. Os achados no grupo não vacinado foram de degeneração axonal e intensa desmielinização dos nervos examinados. No grupo vacinado foram encontrados apenas discretas alterações da mielina, sem relevância do ponto de vista patológico. As grandes alterações ultraestruturais encontradas no grupo de ratos não vacinados sugerem que na raiva ocorram acentuadas alterações nos nervos cranianos e que tais alterações devem estar intimamente relacionadas ao quadro clínico da doença (hidrofobia). Além disso, é possível que tais alterações estejam associadas a um processo imunológico responsável também por acometimento sistêmico dos nervos periféricos.

Palavras-chave: raiva, nervos cranianos, microscopia eletrônica.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Aceite: 4-agosto-1997.

Dr. G. Minguetti - Department of Internal Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, University Hospital - Rua General Carneiro 180 - 80060-900 Curitiba PR - Brasil.

1. Baer GM, Shanthaveerappa TR, Bourne GH. Studies on the pathogenesis of fixed rabies virus in rats. Bull WHO 1965;33:783-794.
2. Chopra JS, Banerjee AK, Murthy JMK, Pal SR. Paralytic rabies: a clinico-pathological study. Brain 1980;103:789-802.
3. Dean DJ, Evans WM, MaClure RC. Pathogenesis of rabies. Bull Who 1963;29:803-811.
4. Dean DJ, Baer GM, Thompson WR. Studies on the local treatment of rabies - infected wounds. Bull WHO 1963;28:477-486.
5. Habel K. Habel test for potency. In Kaplan MM, Koprowski H (eds). Laboratory techniques in rabies. (Monograph Series 23). Geneva: WHO. 1973:276-277.
6. Hemachudha T, Phanuphak P, Sriwanthana B, et al. Immunological study of human encephalitic and paralytic rabies: a preliminay study of 16 patients. Am J Med 1988;84:673-677.
7. Hummeler K, Koprowski H. Investigating the rabies virus. Nature 1969;221:418-421.
8. Johnson HN. Rabies virus. In Horsfall FL, Tamm I (eds). Viral and rickettsial infections of man. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott 1965:814-840.
9. Kaplan MM, Cohen D, Koprowski H, Dean JJ, Ferrigan L. Studies on the local treatment of wounds for the prevention of rabies. Bull WHO 1962;26:765-775.
10. Macral AD. Rabies. Br Med J 1973; 1:604-606.
11. Minguetti G, Negrão MM, Hayashi Y, Freitas OT. infrastructure of peripheral nerves of mice inoculated with rabies virus. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1979;37:105-112.
12. Miyamoto K. Electron microscopic studies on the Negri body. Ann Rep Inst Virus Res Kyoto University 1965;8:10.
13. Miyamoto K, Matsumoto S. The nature of the Negri body. J Cell Biol 1965;7:677-682.
14. Miyamoto K, Sendi M. Comparative studies between pathogenesis of street and fixed rabies infection. J Exp Med 1976;125:447-456.
15. Rabies. Peripheral neuropathies. (WHO Techn Rep Ser 654). Geneva: WHO, 1980:57.
16. Reynolds ES. The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain inelectron microscopy. J Cell Biol 1963;17:208-212.
17. Sriwanthana B, Hemachudha T, Griffin DE, Manatsathit S, Tweardy D, Phanuphak P. Lymphocyte subsets in human encephalitic and paralytic rabies. Acta Neurol Scand 1989;80:287-289.
18. Tangchai P, Vejjajiva A. Pathology of the peripheral nervous system in human rabies: a study of nine autopsy cases. Brain 1971;94:299-306.
19. Wiktor TJ, Doherty PC, Koprowski H. Suppression of cell mediated immunity by street rabies virus. J Exp Med 1977;145:1617-1622.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
07 Oct 2010
Date of issue
1997

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. Baer GM, Shanthaveerappa TR, Bourne GH. Studies on the pathogenesis of fixed rabies virus in rats. Bull WHO 1965;33:783-794.

[2] 2. Chopra JS, Banerjee AK, Murthy JMK, Pal SR. Paralytic rabies: a clinico-pathological study. Brain 1980;103:789-802.

[3] 3. Dean DJ, Evans WM, MaClure RC. Pathogenesis of rabies. Bull Who 1963;29:803-811.

[4] 4. Dean DJ, Baer GM, Thompson WR. Studies on the local treatment of rabies - infected wounds. Bull WHO 1963;28:477-486.

[5] 5. Habel K. Habel test for potency. In Kaplan MM, Koprowski H (eds). Laboratory techniques in rabies. (Monograph Series 23). Geneva: WHO. 1973:276-277.

[6] 6. Hemachudha T, Phanuphak P, Sriwanthana B, et al. Immunological study of human encephalitic and paralytic rabies: a preliminay study of 16 patients. Am J Med 1988;84:673-677.

[7] 7. Hummeler K, Koprowski H. Investigating the rabies virus. Nature 1969;221:418-421.

[8] 8. Johnson HN. Rabies virus. In Horsfall FL, Tamm I (eds). Viral and rickettsial infections of man. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott 1965:814-840.

[9] 9. Kaplan MM, Cohen D, Koprowski H, Dean JJ, Ferrigan L. Studies on the local treatment of wounds for the prevention of rabies. Bull WHO 1962;26:765-775.

[10] 10. Macral AD. Rabies. Br Med J 1973; 1:604-606.

[11] 11. Minguetti G, Negrão MM, Hayashi Y, Freitas OT. infrastructure of peripheral nerves of mice inoculated with rabies virus. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1979;37:105-112.

[12] 12. Miyamoto K. Electron microscopic studies on the Negri body. Ann Rep Inst Virus Res Kyoto University 1965;8:10.

[13] 13. Miyamoto K, Matsumoto S. The nature of the Negri body. J Cell Biol 1965;7:677-682.

[14] 14. Miyamoto K, Sendi M. Comparative studies between pathogenesis of street and fixed rabies infection. J Exp Med 1976;125:447-456.

[15] 15. Rabies. Peripheral neuropathies. (WHO Techn Rep Ser 654). Geneva: WHO, 1980:57.

[16] 16. Reynolds ES. The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain inelectron microscopy. J Cell Biol 1963;17:208-212.

[17] 17. Sriwanthana B, Hemachudha T, Griffin DE, Manatsathit S, Tweardy D, Phanuphak P. Lymphocyte subsets in human encephalitic and paralytic rabies. Acta Neurol Scand 1989;80:287-289.

[18] 18. Tangchai P, Vejjajiva A. Pathology of the peripheral nervous system in human rabies: a study of nine autopsy cases. Brain 1971;94:299-306.

[19] 19. Wiktor TJ, Doherty PC, Koprowski H. Suppression of cell mediated immunity by street rabies virus. J Exp Med 1977;145:1617-1622.