Day CW, Baric R, Cai SX, Frieman M, Kumaki Y, Morrey JD, Smee DF, Barnard DL. A new mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV as a lethal model for evaluating antiviral agents in vitro and in vivo.
Virology 2009;
395:210-22. [PMID:
19853271 PMCID:
PMC2787736 DOI:
10.1016/j.virol.2009.09.023]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2009] [Revised: 06/26/2009] [Accepted: 09/16/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly lethal emerging disease caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV. New lethal animal models for SARS were needed to facilitate antiviral research. We adapted and characterized a new strain of SARS-CoV (strain v2163) that was highly lethal in 5- to 6-week-old BALB/c mice. It had nine mutations affecting 10 amino acid residues. Strain v2163 increased IL-1alpha, IL-6, MIP-1alpha, MCP-1, and RANTES in mice, and high IL-6 expression correlated with mortality. The infection largely mimicked human disease, but lung pathology lacked hyaline membrane formation. In vitro efficacy against v2163 was shown with known inhibitors of SARS-CoV replication. In v2163-infected mice, Ampligen was fully protective, stinging nettle lectin (UDA) was partially protective, ribavirin was disputable and possibly exacerbated disease, and EP128533 was inactive. Ribavirin, UDA, and Ampligen decreased IL-6 expression. Strain v2163 provided a valuable model for anti-SARS research.
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