Duck hepatitis B virus infection of muscovy duck hepatocytes and nature of virus resistance in vivo

• Published in: Journal of Virology Vol. 68; no. 4; pp. 2487 - 2494
• Main Authors: Pugh, J.C, Simmons, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-04-1994
• Subjects: Animals; Azacitidine - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; CANARD; Cells, Cultured; CELLULE; CELULAS; Chickens - microbiology; Ducks - microbiology; ENTEROVIRUS; FOIE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatitis B Virus, Duck - drug effects; Hepatitis B Virus, Duck - growth & development; Hepatitis B Virus, Duck - pathogenicity; HIGADO; Immunity, Innate - drug effects; INFECCION EXPERIMENTAL; INFECTION EXPERIMENTALE; Liver - cytology; Liver - microbiology; Microbiology; PATO; POLLO; POULET; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; RESISTANCE AUX MALADIES; RESISTENCIA A LA ENFERMEDAD; Species Specificity; Suramin - pharmacology; Virology; Virus Replication - drug effects; Host specificity; Duck hepatitis virus; In vitro; Host virus relation; Virus; Resistance; Vertebrata; Hepatocyte; Hepadnaviridae; Infectivity; Duck; Chicken; Aves
• ISSN: 0022-538X; 1098-5514
• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.68.4.2487-2494.1994

To test the hypothesis that in vivo resistance to hepadnavirus infection was due to resistance of host hepatocytes, we isolated hepatocytes from Muscovy ducklings and chickens, birds that have been shown to be resistant to duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection, and attempted to infect them in vitro with virus from congenitally infected Pekin ducks. Chicken hepatocytes were resistant to infection, but we were able to infect approximately 1% of Muscovy duck hepatocytes in culture. Infection requires prolonged incubation with virus at 37 degrees C. Virus spread occurs in the Muscovy cultures, resulting in 5 to 10% DHBV-infected hepatocytes by 3 weeks after infection. The relatively low rate of accumulation of DHBV DNA in infected Muscovy hepatocyte cultures is most likely due to inefficient spread of virus infection; in the absence of virus spread, the rates of DHBV replication in Pekin and Muscovy hepatocyte cultures are similar. 5-Azacytidine treatment can induce susceptibility to DHBV infection in resistant primary Pekin hepatocytes but appears to have no similar effect in Muscovy cultures. The relatively inefficient infection of Muscovy duck hepatocytes that we have described may account for the absence of a detectable viremia in Muscovy ducklings experimentally infected with DHBV