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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #106101
Title: IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF APOPTOSIS AND BCL-2 RELATED PROTEINS IN INTESTINAL TISSUE FOLLOWING EXPOSURE BVDV2

Author
item RUEDA, B - UN KS SCH MED, WICHITA
item NDJOUNTCHE, L - UN KS SCH MED, WICHITA
item Neill, John
item Ridpath, Julia
item Miller, Janice

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In response to viral infection many cells will undergo apoptosis as a line of defense. The apoptotic process is mediated by members of the Bcl-2 family, which have the capacity to accelerate or inhibit apoptosis. Recently, highly virulent BVDV2 have been associated with lymphoid depletion in acute infections. We hypothesized BVDV2 infection would result in elevated levels of apoptosis in lymphoid tissues associated with an increase in pro-apoptotic proteins. To examine this, animals were inoculated with the cirulent BVDV2 strain 890. Animals were necropsied at 19 days post-infection. The tissue sections were stained with DAP1 for the assessment of apoptosis and immunohistochemical analysis for viral antigen accumulation and pro- and anti-apoptotic protein levels. In contrast to uninfected controls, BVDV2-infected animals had evidence of severe lymphoid depletion (Peyer's patches) and elevated levels of viral antigen based on immunohistochemical staining. These animals had focal areas that stained positive with a BVDV2 E**ms antibody that were associated with elevated levels of apoptotic cells based on morphological and biochemical techniques. Furthermore, the increased levels of apoptotic and viral antigen positive cells were associated with changes in Bcl-2 related proteins.