Induction of cyclo-oxygenase-2 by acute liver allograft rejection and cytomegalovirus infection in the rat

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)Keywords Cyclo-oxygenase-2 .infection has been shown to increase inflammation in rat liver allografts. In-vitro CMV has been shown to transactivate cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), while COX-2 plays a role in the CMV replication cycle. Our aim was to investigate the expression of COX-2 in liver allograft rejection and concomitant CMV infection. Expression of COX-2 was studied immunohistologically in rat liver allografts with or without rat CMV infection, in isografts, and in normal rat liver. There were small amounts of COX-2-positive mononuclear inflammatory cells in the normal liver and isografts. Acute rejection increased the amount of COX-2-expressing cells in the portal areas only, whereas concomitant CMV infection did this also in the sinusoid area. COX-2 may play a role in CMV infection in vivo as well. The possible role of COX-2 in the association between CMV infection and allograft rejection warrants further study. Liver rejection . Cytomegalovirus

Are some cases of psychosis caused by microbial agents? A review of the evidence

“…Those receiving the drug had a significant improvement in their symptoms, especially between 2 and 4 weeks (P = 0.001). 83 Celecoxib is an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), 84 and it is known that inhibition of COX-2 blocks the replication of CMV. 85 Based on the results of these two treatment trials, additional tests are underway.…”

Intragraft Cytomegalovirus Protein Expression Is Associated With Reduced Renal Allograft Survival

“…Furthermore, the potent ability of HCMV to induce and maintain inflammation could also contribute to acute rejection. In rat liver allografts acute rejection induces cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression, and concomitant CMV infection furthermore increased the COX-2 expression (Martelius et al, 2002). HCMV US28 induces COX-2 expression and treatment of infected cells with specific COX-2 inhibitors blocks viral DNA synthesis (Maussang et al, 2009;Zhu et al, 2002).…”

Does cytomegalovirus play a causative role in the development of various inflammatory diseases and cancer?

“…Several clinical studies have provided encouraging evidence of a preventive effect of NSAID in cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and lungs (as reviewed in [282]). In this connection, it is of interest that HCMV infection induces the expression of COX‐2 in vivo [283], and that the genome of rhesus CMV encodes a COX‐2 homologue [284] with an unknown function. Furthermore, inhibition of COX‐2 blocks the replication of HCMV [285] and aspirin attenuates the infectiousness of HCMV as well as the COX‐2‐mediated gene expression [286].…”