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Rengifo AC, Rivera J, Álvarez-Díaz DA, Naizaque J, Santamaria G, Corchuelo S, Gómez CY, Torres-Fernández O. Morphological and Molecular Changes in the Cortex and Cerebellum of Immunocompetent Mice Infected with Zika Virus. Viruses 2023; 15:1632. [PMID: 37631975 PMCID: PMC10458311 DOI: 10.3390/v15081632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) disease continues to be a threat to public health, and it is estimated that millions of people have been infected and that there have been more cases of serious complications than those already reported. Despite many studies on the pathogenesis of ZIKV, several of the genes involved in the malformations associated with viral infection are still unknown. In this work, the morphological and molecular changes in the cortex and cerebellum of mice infected with ZIKV were evaluated. Neonatal BALB/c mice were inoculated with ZIKV intraperitoneally, and the respective controls were inoculated with a solution devoid of the virus. At day 10 postinoculation, the mice were euthanized to measure the expression of the markers involved in cortical and cerebellar neurodevelopment. The infected mice presented morphological changes accompanied by calcifications, as well as a decrease in most of the markers evaluated in the cortex and cerebellum. The modifications found could be predictive of astrocytosis, dendritic pathology, alterations in the regulation systems of neuronal excitation and inhibition, and premature maturation, conditions previously described in other models of ZIKV infection and microcephaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aura Caterine Rengifo
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Jorge Rivera
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Diego Alejandro Álvarez-Díaz
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
- Genómica de Microorganismos Emergentes, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Julián Naizaque
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Gerardo Santamaria
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Sheryll Corchuelo
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Claudia Yadira Gómez
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
| | - Orlando Torres-Fernández
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Dirección de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Avenue 26 No. 51-20–Zone 6 CAN, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; (J.R.); (D.A.Á.-D.); (J.N.); (G.S.); (S.C.); (C.Y.G.); (O.T.-F.)
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Santamaría G, Rengifo AC, Torres-Fernández O. NeuN distribution in brain structures of normal and Zika-infected suckling mice. J Mol Histol 2023:10.1007/s10735-023-10128-7. [PMID: 37199896 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-023-10128-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Microcephaly is the more severe brain malformation because of Zika virus infection. Increased vulnerability of neural stem and progenitor cells to Zika infection during prenatal neurodevelopment impairs the complete formation of cortical layers. Normal development of cerebellum is also affected. However, the follow-up of apparently healthy children born to Zika exposed mothers during pregnancy has revealed other neurological sequelae. This suggests Zika infection susceptibility remains in nervous tissue after neurogenesis end, when differentiated neuronal populations predominate. The neuronal nuclear protein (NeuN) is an exclusive marker of postmitotic neurons. Changes in NeuN expression are associated with neuronal degeneration. We have evaluated immunohistochemical expression of NeuN protein in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of normal and Zika-infected neonatal Balb/c mice. The highest NeuN immunoreactivity was found mainly in neurons of all cortical layers, pyramidal layer of hippocampus, granular layer of dentate gyrus and in internal granular layer of cerebellum. Viral infection caused marked loss of NeuN immunostaining in all these brain areas. This suggests neurodegenerative effects of Zika virus infection during postmitotic neuron maturation and contribute to interpretation of neuropathogenic mechanisms of Zika.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Santamaría
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Av. Calle 26 No. 51-20, Bogotá, 111321, DC, Colombia
| | - Aura Caterine Rengifo
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Av. Calle 26 No. 51-20, Bogotá, 111321, DC, Colombia
| | - Orlando Torres-Fernández
- Grupo de Morfología Celular, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Av. Calle 26 No. 51-20, Bogotá, 111321, DC, Colombia.
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