Organ Specific Endothelial Cell Heterogeneity Influences Differential Replication and Cytopathogenicity of MHV-3 and MHV-4

• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-1899-0_6
• Publication Date: 2011-09-12T06:02:37Z
• Authors: J. Joseph; R. Kim; K. Siebert; F. D. Lublin; C. Offenbach; R. L. Knobler
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Murine hepatitis virus; Virulence; Brain; Virus Replication; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Mice; Liver; Species Specificity; Organ Specificity; Animals; Endothelium, Vascular; Cells, Cultured

The various strains of mouse hepatitis virus exhibit distinct organ tropisms. MHV-4(JHM) and MHV-3 are predominantly neurotropic and hepatotropic respectively. Studies on the mechanisms involved in organ specific infection of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) have focused on several factors such as dose, route of administration, age and strain of experimental animals1. Another potential mechanism for regulation of tissue specific spread of virus is the ability of organ specific endothelial cells to selectively support the replication of different strains of MHV. Endothelial cells form an interface between circulating blood and organs and thus could serve as a barrier to infection by viruses. Endothelial cells are also heterogeneous in different organs and may exhibit selectivity in permitting viral entry, thus influencing their tissue tropism2.