We previously reported in this journal that the TC-83-vaccine strain of Venezuelan encephalitis (VE) virus results in a sustained diminution of glucose-stimulated insulin release in golden Syrian hamsters, persisting as long as 90 days after viral infection. This study was designed to examine the metabolic and pathologic consequences of TC-83 VE virus infection in C57 BL/Ks mice (+/+) and in genetic variants of this strain homozygous (db/db) and heterozygous (db/+) for the diabetic gene, db. Five-week-old mice of each genetic variant were inoculated subcutaneously, in groups of 18, with 100,000 plaque-forming units (PFU) of TC-83 that had not been passaged in chick embryo cells or with diluent (control mice). The clinical course in all three groups of mice following VE inoculation was mild, with a 5 to 10% mortality. By light microscopy, control +/+, TC-83 VE-infected +/+, control db/+, and TC-83 VE-infected db/+ pancreases manifested no appreciable difference in morphology. Uninfected db/db mice showed typical changes, including a definite decrease in the number of aldehyde fuchsin-staining granules in beta cells. TC-83 VE-infected db/db mice exhibited a profound decrease in pancreatic beta cell granulation on aldehyde fuchsin staining. After TC-83 VE inoculation, the most striking alterations in carbohydrate metabolism occurred in db/db mice, which showed further worsening of glucose tolerance 120 min after intraperitoneal glucose as well as significantly decreased basal and glucose-stimulated immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels. After TC-83 VE infection, pancreatic IRI content was not decreased in +/+ or db/+ mice but was virtually absent in db/db mice. The data support the ability of TC-83 VE to inhibit glucose-stimulated IRI release in three genetic variants of C57 BL/Ks mice. In addition, this model demonstrates the heightened susceptibility of the remaining diabetic beta cells in the db/db mice to subsequent infection with a pancreatropic virus.
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Original Contributions|
September 01 1979
Venezuelan Encephalitis Virus–induced Alterations in Carbohydrate Metabolism in Genetically Diabetic Mice
Elliot J Rayfield;
Elliot J Rayfield
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York 10029
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Yoshiko Seto;
Yoshiko Seto
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York 10029
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Steven L Goldberg;
Steven L Goldberg
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York 10029
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Robert H Schulman;
Robert H Schulman
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York 10029
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George F Walker
George F Walker
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York 10029
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1
Dr. Seto's current address is Division of Chemotherapy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Address reprint requests to Dr. Elliot J. Rayfield, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029.
Diabetes 1979;28(9):799–803
Article history
Received:
December 13 1978
Revision Received:
May 07 1979
PubMed:
381078
Citation
Elliot J Rayfield, Yoshiko Seto, Steven L Goldberg, Robert H Schulman, George F Walker; Venezuelan Encephalitis Virus–induced Alterations in Carbohydrate Metabolism in Genetically Diabetic Mice. Diabetes 1 September 1979; 28 (9): 799–803. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.28.9.799
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