S100-β DETECTION AND ASTROCYTE REACTION DURING VESICULAR STOMATITIS VIRUS EXPERIMENTAL ENCEPHALITIS.

Abstract

Mice were sacrificed at 2 (Group 1), 6 (Group 2) and 20(Group 3) days post-virus inoculation (pi) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin and S100β staining were studied by immunohistochemistry. Symptoms and severe lesions were observed at day six. There was an increase of GFAP staining in astrocytes characterizing astrogliosis. Detection of GFAP and vimentin was evident after six days post-inoculation and vimentin staining was more intense around injured areas. The S100-β protein was strongly detected at day 6-pi in neurons and microglia. Reduction in GFAP was observed in areas of encephalic necrosis. During VSV encephalitis in the mouse model and especially in those mice with symptoms at day six post-inoculation we showed that besides astrocytes response to VSV infection characterized by upregulation of GFAP and vimentin, we also detected production of the S100β in neurons and microglia, but not in astrocytes, where S100β is considered a specific marker. KEYWORDS: Astrocytes. vesicular stomatitis vírus. GFAP. Vimentin. S100-β.