Experimental Optic Neuritis Induced by a Demyelinating Strain of Mouse Hepatitis Virus

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2008

Abstract

Optic neuritis (ON), an inflammatory demyelinating optic nerve disease, occurs in multiple sclerosis (MS). Pathological mechanisms and potential treatments for ON have been studied via experimental autoimmune MS models. However, evidence suggests that virus-induced inflammation is a likely etiology triggering MS and ON; experimental virus-induced ON models are therefore required. We demonstrate that MHV-A59, a mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strain that causes brain and spinal cord inflammation and demyelination, induces ON by promoting mixed inflammatory cell infiltration. In contrast, MHV-2, a nondemyelinating MHV strain, does not induce ON. Results reveal a reproducible virus-induced ON model important for the evaluation of novel therapies.

Publication Title

Journal of Virology

Volume

82

Issue

17

First Page

8882

Last Page

8886

PubMed ID

18579591

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Virology, Volume 82, Issue 17, September 2008, Pages 8882-6.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00920-08

Copyright © 2008 by the American Society for Microbiology

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