Differential replicative ability of clinical dengue virus isolates in an immunocompetent C57BL/6 mouse model

• Grant number: 16/00720-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: April 01, 2016
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Victor Hugo Aquino Quintana
• Grantee: Victor Hugo Aquino Quintana
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Several experimental animal models have been used to study the pathogenesis of dengue disease; however, most of the studies used laboratory-adapted viruses, which lack the virulence of viruses circulating in humans. The aim of this study was to analyze the ability of clinical Dengue virus (DENV) isolates (D2/BR/RP/RMB/09 and D3/BR/SL3/02) to infect immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. Results: The D3/BR/SL3/02 isolate showed a higher ability of infection (virus RNA was more frequently detected in the serum and in several organs) in the experimental model compared to both the D2/BR/RP/RMB/2009 isolate and a laboratory adapted DENV-1 strain (Mochizuki strain), regardless of the infection strategy used. The main features of the D3/BR/SL3/08 isolate were its neuroinvasiveness and the induction of an extended period of viremia. Enhancing antibodies did not influence on the infection of animals when macrophages were used, but the level of viremia was increased when they were used as a complex with a D3/BR/SL3/02 isolate. Conclusions: These results suggest that C57BL/6 mice can be used as an experimental model to evaluate virulence differences among DENV clinical isolates. (AU)