C57BL/6 mice were inoculated intracranially with 104 PFU of neurotropic HSV-1. All animals developed signs of encephalitis and died until day 6 post-infection (pi). Using intravital microscopy, we demonstrated increased leukocyte rolling and adhesion in the brain Microvasculature of infected mice at days 1, 3 and 5 pi. The infection was followed by a significant increase in chemokine levels, including CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL1 and CXCL9. TNF-alpha also showed a significant increase at day 3 pi. Histological analyses demonstrated diffuse meningoencephalitis characterized mainly by mononuclear cell infiltrates.

The present model of HSV-1 encephalitis exhibits high mortality in the very first days of infection. Accordingly, there were increased rolling and adhesion of leukocytes along the brain endothelium wall and a high expression of chemokines in the central nervous system. These results corroborate buy SCH772984 the role of chemokines in leukocyte recruitment

following HSV-1 infection in the central nervous system. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Influenza viruses resistant to the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor oseltamivir arise under drug selection pressure both in vitro and in vivo. Several mutations MK-1775 chemical structure in the active site of the viral NA are known to confer relative resistance to oseltamivir, and influenza viruses with certain oseltamivir resistance mutations have been shown to transmit efficiently

among cocaged ferrets. However, it is not known whether NA mutations alter aerosol transmission of drug-resistant influenza virus. Here, we demonstrate that recombinant human influenza A/H3N2 viruses without and with oseltamivir resistance mutations (in which NA carries the mutation E119V or the double mutations E119V I222V) have similar in ovo growth kinetics and infectivity in guinea pigs. These viruses also transmit efficiently by the contact route among cocaged guinea pigs, as in the ferret model. However, in an aerosol transmission model, in alsactide which guinea pigs are caged separately, the oseltamivir-resistant viruses transmit poorly or not at all; in contrast, the oseltamivir-sensitive virus transmits efficiently even in the absence of direct contact. The present results suggest that oseltamivir resistance mutations reduce aerosol transmission of influenza virus, which could have implications for public health measures taken in the event of an influenza pandemic.”
“Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorders after Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. Abundant evidence showed that proinflammatory factors were involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic Parkinson’s disease (SPD). Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine that plays an important role in neurodegenerative disease.