Rederivation of MHV and MEV antibody positive mice by cross-fostering and use of the microisolator caging system

This study established the feasibility of rederiving numerous mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and mouse encephalomyelitis virus (MEV) antibody positive strains of mice using cross fostering techniques and a new caging system, thus permitting introduction of virus antibody free mice into a barrier facility. Serologic status of dams within the nucleus breeding colony was determined, and all mice within the breeding colony were housed in individual Microisolator cages. Specific pathogen free (SPF) foster mothers purchased from a commercial source were determined to have no detectable serum antibody to 11 murine viruses including MEV and MHV. Pups delivered naturally from time pregnant dams were cross fostered onto the SPF foster dams. The procedure of cross fostering was conducted within a positive flow, HEPA-filtered, mass air displacement unit within 24 hours of parturition. The virus status of pups from 49 litters was monitored serologically at weaning and again at 6 weeks of age. All cross fostered litters were serologically negative for antibody to mouse hepatitis virus. Seven of 29 litters were negative for MEV antibody titer using this cross fostering technique. Those litters negative serologically to both MHV and MEV (at 3 and 6 weeks) were transferred to a barrier facility and held in isolation. All rederived mice transferred to the barrier facility remained negative for MHV and MEV when sampled at 12 weeks of age.     

Adverse effects of mouse hepatitis virus on ascites myeloma passage in the BALB/eJ mouse.

During experimental serial passage of ascites myelomas through BALB/cJ mice, unexpected illness and premature deaths occurred. Postmortem examination of affected mice revealed focal or diffuse discolored depressed areas in the liver and, in some cases, splenomegaly. Histopathologic findings consisted of focal to diffuse areas of necrosis with minimal leukocytic infiltration. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures of livers and spleens from affected mice were negative. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was isolated from livers of clinically ill mice and from the ascites myeloma lines. An MHV contaminated ascites myeloma line, when passed into nude (nu/nu) mice, killed the animals in 6 days; the virus was isolated from livers of inoculated mice. Attempts to determine the source of the infection were unsuccessful. Serologic survey of newly acquired mice indicated no evidence of antibodies to MHV while mice in holding rooms had titers that ranged from 1:10 to 1:40. Two solid myeloma lines (being maintained by subcutaneous passage) were negative for MHV when tested by virus isolation techniques, and nine lines were negative to 11 murine viruses when tested by mouse antibody production assay. Attempts to demonstrate Eperythrozoon coccoides in control BALB/cJ mice were unsuccessful. Because of the outbreak, changes were made in animal handling procedures. A colony of BALB/cAn mice negative to MHV antibodies was established to provide animals for experimental passage of tumors, and animals in both the breeding and transfer room were placed under filter tops. The results were encouraging. In the four newly established tumor lines, one having been passed 46 times, no illness or unexplained deaths were observed.     

Application of nested polymerase chain reaction to detection of mouse hepatitis virus in fecal specimens during a natural outbreak in an immunodeficient mouse colony.

The usefulness of RT-PCR for the detection of MHV in tissues and feces of experimentally infected animals has been reported, but it was unclear whether the method was also applicable for the detection of MHV during a natural outbreak. Enterotropic infection is considered to be the most common form of natural infection among various forms of MHV infection. In this paper, RT-nested PCR was performed to detect MHV excreted in the feces during an outbreak in an immunocompromised A/WySnJ mouse colony. The expected bands were amplified after nested PCR from 20 fecal samples out of 37. These results showed that RT-nested PCR could be applicable for the diagnosis for MHV natural infection.     

The use of dirty bedding for detection of murine pathogens in sentinel mice

Sentinel Swiss (CD-1) mice, housed without filter bonnets, were seronegative for mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) for 8 consecutive months in an experimental colony of CD-1 mice. MHV titers had been detected sporadically in sentinel mice housed in this colony during a 2 year period. In an effort to determine whether MHV was still present in the colony, two methods of exposing sentinel mice to an animal room environment were compared under routine husbandry practices. Eight cages (12 mice per cage; 2 cages per rack) of experimental virus antibody free sentinel mice, housed without filter bonnets, were placed on the bottom shelf of 4 of 12 racks in the room. Twice each week, four cages of sentinel mice received a composite sample of dirty bedding (bedding used previously by mice in the room). The remaining four cages of experimental sentinels received fresh non-used bedding. Sentinel mice were bled at monthly intervals for MHV serology. After 4 months, mice from two cages which received dirty bedding seroconverted to MHV and mice from one cage were positive for Myobia musculi (mites). Three weeks later, all four cages of mice which received dirty bedding were positive for MHV and three were positive for mites. In contrast, only two of four cages of mice which received fresh bedding were positive for MHV and all were negative for mites. These findings indicate the importance of exposing sentinel mice to dirty bedding and that MHV and mites may go undetected for several months in a mouse colony when the incidence levels are low where standard sanitation procedures are used.     

长爪沙鼠小鼠肝炎病毒（MHV）RT-PCR检测方法的建立及初步应用

目的建立长爪沙鼠小鼠肝炎病毒（MHV）RT-PCR检测方法,应用于长爪沙鼠、小鼠等实验动物MHV的检测。方法根据已发表的小鼠肝炎病毒（MHV）S基因序列,设计合成引物。提取MHV细胞毒RNA,以其为模板,进行PCR扩增。优化反应条件,进行特异性、敏感性、稳定性、重复性试验。并对65只长爪沙鼠及12只小鼠进行检测。结果建立的MHVRT-PCR检测方法特异、敏感、稳定。以MHVRNA逆转录产物为模板,所能检测RNA最小模板浓度为3．1pg／μL,可检测病毒最小滴度为10^-3／mL。65只沙鼠经RT-PCR检测,均为阴性,12只小鼠经RT．PCR检测,有3只MHV阳性,测序结果与Genbank中MHV核酸序列同源性均为97％。结论建立的长爪沙鼠小鼠肝炎病毒（MHV）RT-PCR检测方法可用于长爪沙鼠、小鼠等实验动物MHV的检测。     

Pathogenicity of mouse hepatitis virus for preimplantation mouse embryos

Mouse embryos which were hatched from the zona pellucida in vitro in the presence of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) or outgrown on coverslips and then exposed to MHV were shown by immunohistochemical staining to have virally infected trophoblast cells. Zona-intact embryos incubated with MHV for 48 h (2-cell embryos) or 1.5 h (blastocysts) were resistant to infection. Morulae and early blastocysts collected from donor mice experimentally infected with MHV were not infected, but the medium in which they were flushed from the uterine horns was contaminated with virus. No virus was detected after embryos were washed through three changes of uncontaminated medium. MHV was transmitted to foster mothers when embryos were transferred in medium contaminated with the virus. Fetal and decidual tissues were not infected. We suggest that embryo transfer is an effective and simple alternative to Caesarian rederivation of MHV-contaminated mice.     

Studies on the development of an ELISA kit for microbiological monitoring. 1. Evaluation of the reliability of the prototype kit by field tests

The prototype of an ELISA kit using protein A as the second reaction reagent for mice and anti-rat IgG for rats was prepared for seromonitoring of the Sendai virus and mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)/sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV)/Parker's rat coronavirus (PCV) infections. The respective antigen strains and protein concentrations were Sendai virus MN strain, 2 micrograms/ml and MHV Nu-67 strain, 5 micrograms/ml. The reliability of this prototype kit was investigated in two field tests performed on a total of 10,094 mouse and rat sera from 147 institutions. The results indicated that the two types of kits for the two species of animals were highly specific, but it is necessary to increase the detection sensitivity of the MHV antigen for the MHV antibody of mice and SDAV/PCV antibodies of rats.     

ICR 小鼠自然感染小鼠肝炎病毒后抗原抗体的变化

目的：了解小鼠肝炎病毒（ MHV）污染的设施内,ICR小鼠自然感染后MHV抗原抗体存在情况。方法选择50只ICR小鼠,通过更换“脏垫料”的方式进行饲养,分别在实验第2,4,8,14,21,28,35,42,56和84天各剖杀动物5只,采集血清、盲肠内容物、粪便、肝脏以及肺脏检测抗原抗体分布情况。结果实验开始第2天,肺脏中检出小鼠肝炎病毒,检出率为20％（1/5）,第4天开始,肝脏、肺部、盲肠以及粪便中均可检出小鼠肝炎病毒;84天后,肺脏、盲肠、粪便和肝脏阳性检出率降为0。实验第8天,血清中抗体检出阳性,阳性率为100％（5/5）,直至第84天实验结束,抗体阳性率仍维持在100％（5/5）。结论血清学方法可作为日常监督主要诊断方法,而抗原检测方法只能应用于早期诊断。     

The elimination of mouse hepatitis virus by temporary transplantation of human tumors from infected athymic nude mice into athymic nude rats (rnuN/rnuN).

A nude mouse colony held in an isolation unit was found to harbor MHV despite the fact that all hygienic precautions were taken. The virus spread rapidly causing a high mortality rate predominantly in experimental animals. Moreover, we observed a high percentage of tumor regression in our tumor transplanted mice. Attempts to eliminate the MHV by repeated tumor transplantation into virus-free nude mice were unsuccessful. Since MHV has a limited host range, we transplanted, in parallel, four different lines of embryonic renal tumors (three triphasic nephroblastomas and one malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney) from athymic mice into athymic rats and fragments of the same tumors into "fresh" nude mice. All manipulations were performed in isolators. Detection of MHV was done twice by serological examination of six-week-old sentinels. The results showed transmission of MHV infection in the control mice under gnotobiotic conditions as previously found in the normal animal room. On the other hand, there was no evidence of infection, neither in the transplanted nude rats nor after retransplantation of tumors into nude mice. We hypothesize that the virus is harbored in the stromal cells of the murine host but not of the rat host nor in the human tumor cells. Histological comparison showed no alteration of specific tumor morphology in the different hosts.     

The effectiveness of a microisolator cage system and sentinel mice for controlling and detecting MHV and Sendai virus infections

Experiments were conducted to determine (a) whether BALB/c mice housed on soiled bedding can be used as sentinels for the detection of Sendai virus and MHV from infected mice housed in microisolators, and (b) whether the microisolator caging system protects mice against Sendai virus and MHV infections. Sentinel mice were housed in microisolator cages, exposed continuously to soiled bedding and bled at 21 and 42 days for serology. All sentinel mice were seropositive for MHV by 42 days; however, sentinel mice exposed to soiled bedding were seronegative for Sendai virus at 21 and 42 days. These results suggest that sentinels housed on soiled bedding may not detect all infectious murine viruses. This study also showed that the microisolator caging system provided an effective barrier against MHV infection at the cage level and suggests that the microisolators should protect mice against other infectious agents.     

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 cyclin D homologue is required for efficient reactivation from latency

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) is a gammaherpesvirus that was first isolated from murid rodents. MHV68 establishes a latent infection in the spleen and other lymphoid organs. Several gammaherpesviruses, including herpesvirus saimiri, human herpesvirus 8, and MHV68, encode proteins with extensive homology to the D-type cyclins. To study the function of the cyclin homologue, a recombinant MHV68 has been constructed that lacks the cyclin homologue and expresses beta-galactosidase as a marker (MHV68(cy-)). MHV68(cy-) grows in vitro with kinetics and to titers similar to those of the wild type. BALB/c mice infected with mixtures of equivalent amounts of the wild type and MHV68(cy-) show deficient growth of the MHV68(cy-) in an acute infection. Infection of SCID mice with virus mixtures also showed decreased MHV68(cy-) virus growth, indicating that the deficiency is not mediated by T or B cells. Although mice infected with mixtures containing 100 times as much MHV68(cy-) had greater splenic titers of the mutant virus than wild-type virus in acute infection, at 28 days postinfection splenocytes from these mice reactivated primarily wild-type virus. Quantitative PCR data indicate that equivalent genomes were present in the latent state. Reinsertion of the cyclin homologue into the cyclin-deleted virus restored the wild-type phenotype. These results indicate that the MHV68 cyclin D homologue mediates important functions in the acute infection and is required for efficient reactivation from latency.