Neuronal changes induced by Varicella Zoster Virus in a rat model of Post Herpetic Neuralgia

ABSTRACT: Neuronal reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes debilitating and protracted pain (post herpetic neuralgia: PHN) in a significant fraction of patients. Productive infection of VZV seems to occur only in humans and primates, so VZV-infected human cells (e.g., MEWO cell line) are used to transmit VZV to rodents. A commonly accepted method of assessing nociception is ipsilateral nocifensive (pain avoidance) behavior in rats which have been injected in a footpad. No such behavioral change is associated with the contralateral (uninjected) footpad. Uninfected MEWO cells or VZV-infected MEWO cells were inoculated into the glabrous region of the right rear footpad of male Sprague-Dawley rats. By 9 days post-inoculation, there was a VZV-dependent decrease in the frequency of neu

ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus

SUBMITTER: Stephen Harvey 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-64345 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress