TY - JOUR
T1 - Early onset of virus infection and up-regulation of cytokines in mice treated with cadmium and manganese
AU - Seth, Pankaj
AU - Husain, Mirza M.
AU - Gupta, Pratibha
AU - Schoneboom, Bruce A.
AU - Grieder, Franziska B.
AU - Mani, Haresh
AU - Maheshwari, Radha K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a grant (G174 HA) from the Naval Medical Research, the Army Medical Research and Material Command grant (G174 KY) and Development Command and US-INDIA Foreign Currency Fund from US Department of State to USUHS. The authors are grateful to Dr P.K. Seth, Director, Industrial Toxicological Research Center, Lucknow, India, for fruitful suggestions for this study. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and should not be construed as official or necessarily reflecting the views of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department of Defense, USA.
PY - 2003/6
Y1 - 2003/6
N2 - A substantial database indicates that a large number of environmental pollutants, chemicals and therapeutic agents to which organisms are exposed cause immunotoxicity. The suppression of immune functions may cause increased susceptibility of the host to a variety of microbial pathogens potentially resulting in a life-threatening state. Evaluation of the immunotoxic potential of chemical xenobiotics is of great concern and, therefore, we have investigated the impact of exposure of inorganic metals, specifically cadmium (Cd) and manganese (Mn) on Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), Semliki Forest virus (SFV), and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus (VEEV) infection. Pretreatment with a single, oral dose of Cd or Mn increased the susceptibility of mice to a sub-lethal infection of these viruses as observed by increased severity of symptoms and mortality compared to untreated controls. An early onset of virus infection was found in brains of Cd and Mn treated animals. Histopathological observations of the brain indicate evidence of inflammation and greater tissue pathology in Cd-or Mn-exposed mice compared to control animals. Meningitis and vascular congestion was seen in virus infected mice in all the metal treated groups, and further, the perivascular inflammation appeared earlier in treated mice compared to control. Encephalitis was maximum in Cd pretreated mice. Widespread environmental contamination of metals and the potential for their exposure and subsequent infection of humans or animals is indicative that further studies of these and all other metals are important to understand the effect of environmental pollution on human health.
AB - A substantial database indicates that a large number of environmental pollutants, chemicals and therapeutic agents to which organisms are exposed cause immunotoxicity. The suppression of immune functions may cause increased susceptibility of the host to a variety of microbial pathogens potentially resulting in a life-threatening state. Evaluation of the immunotoxic potential of chemical xenobiotics is of great concern and, therefore, we have investigated the impact of exposure of inorganic metals, specifically cadmium (Cd) and manganese (Mn) on Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), Semliki Forest virus (SFV), and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus (VEEV) infection. Pretreatment with a single, oral dose of Cd or Mn increased the susceptibility of mice to a sub-lethal infection of these viruses as observed by increased severity of symptoms and mortality compared to untreated controls. An early onset of virus infection was found in brains of Cd and Mn treated animals. Histopathological observations of the brain indicate evidence of inflammation and greater tissue pathology in Cd-or Mn-exposed mice compared to control animals. Meningitis and vascular congestion was seen in virus infected mice in all the metal treated groups, and further, the perivascular inflammation appeared earlier in treated mice compared to control. Encephalitis was maximum in Cd pretreated mice. Widespread environmental contamination of metals and the potential for their exposure and subsequent infection of humans or animals is indicative that further studies of these and all other metals are important to understand the effect of environmental pollution on human health.
KW - Encephalomyocarditis virus
KW - Infection
KW - Semliki Forest virus
KW - Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus
KW - Virus
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1020682716212
DO - 10.1023/A:1020682716212
M3 - Article
C2 - 12572694
AN - SCOPUS:0037409665
SN - 0966-0844
VL - 16
SP - 359
EP - 368
JO - BioMetals
JF - BioMetals
IS - 2
ER -