Intracerebral hemorrhages and infarction induced by a murine leukemia virus is influenced by host determinants within endothelial cells.

The strain and developmental parameters that control susceptibility to murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-induced intracerebral hemorrhages and infarction were studied using the endothelial cell tropic MuLV TR1.3. Inoculated animals displayed an absolute age dependence on the development of intracerebral vascular disease; however, other genetic determinants affected the timing and magnitude of susceptibility to neurologic disease. BALB/c mice were susceptible to neurologic disease only when inoculated prior to Day 4 postpartum. In contrast, Swiss/NIH and C3H/HeN mice consistently showed a less virulent phenotype and were only susceptible when infected prior to Day 3 postpartum. These studies demonstrate that susceptibility to TR1.3 murine leukemia virus-induced neurologic disease is regulated by age- and strain-dependent factors encoded within cerebral endothelial cells.