Alteration of Immune Responses of Rabbits Infected with Bovine Immunodeficiency‐Like Virus

Abstract

Nine 3‐month‐old rabbits were inoculated with bovine immunodeficiency‐like virus (BIV) to study the pathogenesis of BIV and alteration of the immune responses in experimentally infected rabbits. BIV proviral DNA and anti‐BIV antibodies were detected from all rabbits inoculated with BIV‐infected bovine embryo spleen (BESP) cells. Rabbits inoculated with spleen cells of the BIV‐infected rabbit also converted to proviral DNA‐positive and BIV‐antibody‐positive. The blastogenic responses to concanavalin A of peripheral blood mononuclear cells prepared from BIV‐infected rabbits were not significantly different from those from uninfected controls at 2 and 4 months post‐inoculation (PI). The humoral immune responses against bovine serum albumin (BSA) were depressed in two of four BIV‐infected rabbits at 1 to 3 months PI. The antibody responses against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were significantly depressed in all BIV‐infected rabbits at 2 to 4 months PI. BIV was rescued by cocultivation of spleen cells of infected rabbits with BESP cells. Distinct development of lymphoid follicle was observed in lymph nodes and spleens of uninfected rabbits which received BSA and SRBCs. In contrast, moderate lymphoid cell depletion was observed in BIV‐infected rabbits which received the same immunogens.

A conflict of interest: the evolutionary arms race between mammalian APOBEC3 and lentiviral Vif

“…BIV was isolated in 1972 in the United States from cattle ( Bos taurus ) displaying persistent lymphocytosis [83]. However, subsequent studies reported that the disorders caused by BIV infection in cattle seem relatively mild compared to those that occur in humans as a result of HIV-1 infection [1, 84, 85]. In contrast, sporadic outbreaks of JDV infection that result in severe disorders and high mortality have occurred in Bali cattle and domesticated banteng ( Bos javanicus ), in certain islands of Indonesia since 1964 [86].…”

Viral variation of the bovine immunodeficiency-like virus

“…Immunohistochemical staining in one study demonstrated BIV antigen in mononuclear cells from the spleen (Pifat et al, 1992). Humoral immune response was decreased to some antigens and moderate lymphoid hyperplasia was observed in some of the BIV infected rabbits (Hirai et al, 1994). BIV does not appear to replicate as well in rabbits as it does in cattle, and no clinical disease has been observed.…”

“…Experimental studies with mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats and sheep have been described Pifat et al, 1992;Hirai et al, 1994;Smith et al,, 1994;. BIV has only been shown to productively infect rabbits and sheep, as evidenced by a serologic response to BIV and PGR detection of provirus in blood from sheep and rabbits, and isolation of virus at necropsy from rabbits Hirai et al, 1994;Pifat et al, 1994. A single report of a natural infection with BIV has been reported in a sheep, based on an antibody response to the virus .…”

“…Rabbits were experimentally inoculated with R29-derived isolates of BIV Pifat et al, 1992;Hirai et al, 1994). Recovery of BIV by cocultivation of rabbit spleen cells with cells sensitive to BIV replication were described in all three studies Pifat et al, 1992;Hirai et al, 1994). BIV was also recovered from several other organs in one study at necropsy (Pifat et al, 1992).…”

“…BIV was also recovered from several other organs in one study at necropsy (Pifat et al, 1992). PGR was also used to detect BIV provlral DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tissues (Pifat et al, 1992;Hirai et al, 1994). Immunohistochemical staining in one study demonstrated BIV antigen in mononuclear cells from the spleen (Pifat et al, 1992).…”