Title: Chronicity of Viral Hepatitis in Nude Mice Inoculated with Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV)-Type II
Abstract: Nude mice (nu/nu), females and 4-5 w old, were inoculated with an adequate dose of MHV-II (virus titer: 10-5) i.p. and were investigated for 3 months after the beginning of this experiment. Chronic virus carrier states were established in them 2 weeks after the inoculation, serum immunoglobulin levels of the infected mice which included lgG, IgM and originally decreased, had no significant variation in the course of this study.Histologically, hepatic cell injuries reached their maximum in 2 weeks and gradually recovered. Also, periportal cell infiltration and liver fibrosis revealed and developed progressively in 5 weeks and changed into liver cirrhosis at 8-10 w.Transplantation of littermate (nu/+) thymocytes into experimented mice before the inoculation and administration of immunosuppressant (cyclophosphamide) after the inoculation restrain the progression of viral hepatitis.