Influenza virus- and cytokine-immunoreactive cells in the murine olfactory and central autonomic nervous systems before and after illness onset

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 211; no. 1; pp. 73 - 83
• Main Authors: Leyva-Grado, Victor H, Churchill, Lynn, Wu, Melissa, Williams, Timothy J, Taishi, Ping, Majde, Jeannine A, Krueger, James M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 25-06-2009
• Subjects: Acute phase response; Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Autonomic Nervous System - immunology; Autonomic Nervous System - metabolism; Autonomic Nervous System - virology; Cytokines - immunology; Cytokines - metabolism; Glia; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Immunohistochemistry; Influenza A virus; Influenza virus; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microscopy, Confocal; NeuN; Neuroglia - immunology; Neuroglia - metabolism; Neuroglia - virology; Neurology; Neuronal cytokines; Neurons - immunology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - virology; Olfactory Bulb - immunology; Olfactory Bulb - metabolism; Olfactory Bulb - virology; Olfactory system; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - immunology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - metabolism; NeuN; Glia; Influenza virus; Neuronal cytokines; Acute phase response; Olfactory system
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2009.03.016

Abstract Influenza virus invades the olfactory bulb (OB) and enhances cytokine mRNAs therein at the time of illness onset. Here we show that viral antigen immunoreactivity co-localized with glial markers in the OB but could not be detected in other brain areas. Interleukin 1β- and tumor necrosis factor α-immunoreactivity co-localized with neuronal markers in olfactory and central autonomic systems, and the number of cytokine-immunoreactive neurons increased at the time of illness onset [15 h post-inoculation (PI)] but not before (10 h PI). These results suggest that the OB virus influences the brain cytokines and therefore the onset of illness.