Vascular and neuroglial changes in experimental herpes simplex encephalitis enzyme histochemical study.

An enzyme histochemical study of experimental herpes simplex encephalitis of the mouse has revealed a decrease in the number of capillaries displaying alkaline phosphatase activity. Glial cells showed increased Inosine 5 diphosphatase and ATPase activity. These enzyme histochemical changes were distributed throughout the nervous parenchyma while the lesions, seen by light microscopy, are localized to well defined areas. Mice inoculated with a pure culture of irradiated HSV failed to show the above mentioned modifications.