Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Theriogenology. 2013 Nov;80(8):933-9. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2013.07.021. Epub 2013 Aug 20.
Caprine arthritis encephalitis is a worldwide, multisystemic disease caused by a small ruminant lentivirus. Although the main route of transmission is oral, detection of proviral DNA of the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) in caprine semen has been previously described. However, the presence of viral antigens in the male reproductive tract has apparently never been reported. The objective was to study lesions in the buck reproductive system and to detect, in these tissues, the presence of proviral DNA, viral RNA and CAEV antigens. Tissues from eight CAEV-infected bucks (one naturally and seven experimentally infected) were analyzed by histopathology, nested polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. Interstitial pneumonia, synovitis, and lesions in the male reproductive tract were detected in some of the bucks. Proviral DNA was detected in the lungs and joints as well as in the reproductive systems of all animals, whereas viral RNA was detected only in the genital tract of the naturally infected buck. Viral antigens were immunostained in most of the organs of the male reproductive tract. This report was apparently the first to clearly demonstrate CAEV antigen expression in the male reproductive tract, which indicates the possibility of venereal transmission of CAEV.
山羊关节炎脑炎是一种全球性、多系统疾病，由小反刍动物慢病毒引起。虽然主要传播途径是口腔，但之前已经描述了在山羊精液中检测到山羊关节炎脑炎病毒（CAEV）的前病毒 DNA。然而，病毒抗原在雄性生殖道中的存在显然从未被报道过。本研究的目的是研究公羊生殖系统的病变，并在这些组织中检测前病毒 DNA、病毒 RNA 和 CAEV 抗原的存在。通过组织病理学、巢式聚合酶链反应、逆转录聚合酶链反应和免疫组织化学分析了 8 只 CAEV 感染公羊（1 只自然感染和 7 只实验感染）的组织。在一些公羊中检测到间质性肺炎、滑膜炎和生殖道病变。在所有动物的肺部和关节以及生殖系统中均检测到前病毒 DNA，而仅在自然感染的公羊生殖道中检测到病毒 RNA。病毒抗原在雄性生殖道的大多数器官中均有免疫染色。本报告显然首次明确证明了 CAEV 抗原在雄性生殖道中的表达，这表明 CAEV 可能通过性行为传播。
