[The persistence of the causative agent of amyotrophic leukospongiosis and the astrocyte reaction in monolayer cultures of brain cells].

The amyotrophic leukospongiosis (AL) agent which is considered to be an unconventional virus was shown to replicate and amplify in non-neuronal monolayer brain cell cultures. The AL agent persistence was accompanied by complicated morphofunctional changes in astrocytes, some of them developing a specific cytodystrophic process. Phagocytosis in the infected astrocytes came to its end. The dose-dependent effect and selective sensitivity of these cells to the cytodestructive activity of AL was demonstrated. Astrocytes are regarded to be target cells serving as a reservoir for agent amplification.