The Role of Neuropeptides in Persistent Virus Infections of the Central Nervous System
Abstract
During the past decade significant advances have been made in our understanding of the physiological influences of several neuropeptides, their surprising wide-distribution in non-nervous tissues, and the potential link between these neuropeptides and the immune system. Although to date most studies are preliminary in nature, there already remains little question that subtle changes in neuroendocrine function may play an important role in the host- parasite relationship associated with infectious diseases mediated by viruses. Central to future advances in our knowledge of the potential interaction between the nervous and immune systems of the host--as a mediator of health and disease- -is the development of model systems of infectious diseases that can discriminate between causative and casual relationships. To this end, we have focused the first year of this study on the clinical disease caused by intracerebral inoculation of certain ts mutants of VSV in both BALB/c (+/+) and BALB/c athymic nude (nu/nu) mice. This model system should allow a comparison of immune competent (BALB/c) and immune deficient (BALB/c nude) animals in warding off a progressive CNS disease, the determination of the ability of immune reconstitution (BALB/c nude plus syngeneic T lymphocytes) to alter the clinical course of CNS disease, and the potential modification of the CNS disease by certain neuropeptides that have been implicated in immune function. Keywords: Virus diseases, Neuropeptides, Models, Central nervous system, Immunology, Opoids, Lymphocytes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 11, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA197421
Entities
People
- Terry C. Johnson
Organizations
- Kansas State University