einstein (São Paulo). 23/maio/2023;21:eAO0160.
Replication of Rocio virus in primary cultures of mouse neural cells
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2023AO0160
Highlights
A novel in vitro experimental model was described for Rocio Flavivirus replication in a primary mouse neural cell culture.
ROCV efficiently infects primary neural cell cultures, causing cytopathic changes and cell death from the 2nd and 7th days post infection, respectively.
A higher viral titer was observed on the 2nd days post infection.
The viral replication kinetics was compatible with the cell death kinetics of ROCV-infected cultures.
ABSTRACT
Objective
This study verified the replication efficiency of the Rocio virus in a primary culture of mouse neural cells.
Methods
Mixed primary cultures (neurons/glia) obtained from the brains of newborn isogenic BALB/c mice were inoculated with Rocio virus on the 7 th day of culture, and the development of cytopathogenic effects was monitored. The infection was confirmed via immunocytochemistry (anti-ROCV), while viral replication was quantified in infected primary cultures. The titration method used depended on the infection period.
Results
Rocio virus efficiently infected primary cultured neural cells, with the highest viral titer causing cytopathic changes was observed at 2 days post infection. The virus-infected primary culture survived for up to 7 days post infection, and viral load quantitation showed viral replication kinetics compatible with the cell death kinetics of cultures.
Conclusion
The findings of this study suggest that mouse neural cell primary cultures support Rocio virus replication and could be used as an alternative system for studying Flavivirus infection in the central nervous system.
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