Interference of tempol on the proliferation of murine hepatitis virus, neurotropic strain A59 (MHV-A59)

• Grant number: 10/52405-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Heloisa Tsuhako
• Grantee: Maria Heloisa Tsuhako
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive inflammatory, degenerative and/or demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system (CNS). It is considered an autoimmune disease related to environmental, genetic and immune factors. Several studies with experimental models such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) or encephalomyelitis virus correlate nitric oxide and its derived oxidants with MS. Recently, using as an experimental model of MS C57BL/6 mice inoculated with murine hepatitis virus, neurotropic strain MHV-A59, we demonstrated that the multifunctional antioxidant tempol dramatically attenuates the development of clinical disease by changing the redox state of the inflammatory microenvironment that contributes to an attenuation of the inflammatory response of the CNS. In parallel, a decrease of titers in the CNS of mice treated with the drug was observed (Tsuhako et al., 2010). Considering the lack of knowledge about the nitroxides interference in viral replication and lack of anti-viral drugs, we intend to focus our studies in this phenomenon using cells from murine microglia BV-2. With these studies we hope to contribute not only to the elucidation of the mechanistic aspects of the tempol influence on viral proliferation, but also provide more knowledge about the role of microglia in viral infections, which is still unclear. (AU)