Persistence of Zika virus RNA in the epididymis of the murine male reproductive tract
| Autor: | Claudia E. Perez, Megan B. Vogt, Sheryl Coutermarsh-Ott, Francesca Frere, Nisha K. Duggal, Seth A. Hawks |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Sexual transmission Recrudescence medicine.medical_treatment Semen Male reproductive tract Article Zika virus Mouse model Cell Line 03 medical and health sciences Immunocompromised Host Mice Recurrence Virology Chlorocebus aethiops medicine Immune Tolerance Animals Cyclophosphamide Vero Cells 030304 developmental biology Epididymis 0303 health sciences Fetus biology Zika Virus Infection 030302 biochemistry & molecular biology RNA Immunosuppression Sexually Transmitted Diseases Viral Zika Virus biology.organism_classification Virus Shedding Mice Inbred C57BL medicine.anatomical_structure In utero RNA Viral Persistent Infection Immunosuppressive Agents |
| Zdroj: | Virology |
| ISSN: | 1096-0341 |
| Popis: | Zika virus (ZIKV) can infect developing fetuses in utero and cause severe congenital defects independent of route of maternal infection. Infected men can shed ZIKV RNA in semen for over six months. Whether prolonged viral RNA shedding in semen indicates a persistent infection in the male reproductive tract is unknown. We hypothesized that if ZIKV establishes a persistent infection in the male reproductive tract (MRT), then immunosuppressant treatment should stimulate ZIKV replication and seminal shedding. Male mice were infected with ZIKV and immunosuppressed when they shed viral RNA but not infectious virus in ejaculates. Following immunosuppression, we did not detect infectious virus in ejaculates. However, we did detect ZIKV positive and negative sense RNA in the epididymal lumens of mice treated with cyclophosphamide, suggesting that ZIKV persists in the epididymis. This study provides insight into the mechanisms behind ZIKV sexual transmission, which may inform public health decisions regarding ZIKV risks. NIAIDUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USANIH National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [R21AI142504] Published version Funding for this project was provided by the NIAID (R21AI142504). We thank VT Laboratory Animal Research staff for contributions to animal husbandry and training for mouse procedures. We thank the VT ViTALS lab for processing tissues for microscopy and performing H&E staining. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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