Experimental infection of Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils with human hepatitis E virus.

ABSTRACT: To investigate whether Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils are readily susceptible to infection by human hepatitis E virus (HEV).Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils were infected with a clinical HEV strain isolated from an acute hepatitis E patient, and virus pathogenesis was assessed in this host. Non-infected gerbils served as the control group. Feces samples from gerbils were collected weekly for reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction. Serum anti-HEV IgG and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. At sacrifice, each animal's liver, spleen and kidney were collected for histopathologic examination.HEV-infected gerbils showed fatigue, with histopathological changes observed in the liver, spleen and kidney. HEV RNA was detected in fecal samples taken at day 7 after inoculation and the detectable levels lasted out to day 42 after inoculation. Interestingly, ALT levels were only moderately increased in the HEV-infected animals compared with the non-infected control group.Z:ZCLA Mongolian gerbils are susceptible to human HEV.

SUBMITTER: Hong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4299338 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature