Cockerell G L, Weiser M G, Rovnak J, Wicks-Beard B, Roberts B, Post A, Chen I S, Lairmore M D
Department of Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
Blood. 1991 Sep 15;78(6):1532-7.
To determine the susceptibility of rabbits to experimental infection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-II (HTLV-II), four separate groups of four weanling rabbits each were inoculated intravenously with lethally irradiated HTLV-II-infected human cell lines Mo-T (HTLV-IIMo-infected T cells), WIL-NRA (an Epstein-Barr virus [EBV]-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell line infected with HTLV-IINRA), 729pH6neo (an EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line transfected with a molecular clone of HTLV-IIMo), or G12.1 (HTLV-II-infected T cells from a Panamanian Guaymi Indian). Two additional groups of four rabbits each were similarly inoculated with control uninfected 729 or HuT 78 cells. Early and persistent seroconversion to HTLV-II core antigen p24, as determined by Western immunoblot, occurred in all HTLV-II-inoculated rabbits and was most intense in rabbits inoculated with G12.1 cells; seroreactivity to other HTLV-II gag or env antigens occurred later, with less intensity, or not in all inoculated rabbits. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and other lymphoid cells from HTLV-II-inoculated rabbits produced minimal p24 in vitro, as determined by enzyme immunosorbent capture assay. Virus was more readily detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification of HTLV-II pol sequences; this occurred most frequently in rabbits inoculated with Mo-T cells, and most frequently in PBMC as compared with other tissues tested (bone marrow, brain, and liver). No evidence of disease occurred in HTLV-II-inoculated rabbits observed for as long as 24 weeks. All control rabbits remained negative for evidence of HTLV-II infection, as determined by the same procedures. These results provide the first evidence of HTLV-II infection in a species other than humans, and demonstrate the usefulness of the rabbit as an animal model to study the biologic response to different isolates of this human retrovirus.
为确定兔对人T细胞嗜淋巴细胞病毒II型（HTLV-II）实验性感染的易感性，将四组各四只断乳兔分别经静脉接种致死剂量照射的感染HTLV-II的人细胞系Mo-T（HTLV-IIMo感染的T细胞）、WIL-NRA（一株感染HTLV-IINRA的爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒[EBV]转化的B淋巴母细胞系）、729pH6neo（一株转染了HTLV-IIMo分子克隆的EBV转化的淋巴母细胞系）或G12.1（来自巴拿马瓜伊米印第安人的HTLV-II感染的T细胞）。另外两组各四只兔同样接种未感染的对照729或HuT 78细胞。通过Western免疫印迹法测定，所有接种HTLV-II的兔均出现早期且持续的针对HTLV-II核心抗原p24的血清学转换，且在接种G12.1细胞的兔中最为强烈；对其他HTLV-II gag或env抗原的血清反应性出现较晚，强度较低，或并非在所有接种兔中都出现。通过酶免疫吸附捕获测定法确定，接种HTLV-II的兔的外周血单个核细胞（PBMC）和其他淋巴细胞在体外产生的p24极少。通过HTLV-II pol序列的聚合酶链反应扩增更容易检测到病毒；这种情况在接种Mo-T细胞的兔中最常发生，与其他检测组织（骨髓、脑和肝）相比，在PBMC中最常检测到。在观察长达24周的接种HTLV-II的兔中未出现疾病迹象。通过相同程序测定，所有对照兔均未出现HTLV-II感染迹象。这些结果提供了人类以外物种感染HTLV-II的首个证据，并证明兔作为动物模型用于研究对这种人类逆转录病毒不同分离株的生物学反应的有用性。
