COXSACKIEVIRUS B3 INFECTION ALTERS THE UPDATE OF 2,3,7,8-TETRACHLORODIBENZO-P-DIOXIN INTO VARIOUS TISSUES OF THE MOUSE

The tissue uptake of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during infection was studied in a mouse model using the common human virus C oxsackievirvs B3 (CB3), adapted here to the mouse. Male A/J-mice were infected with the CB3 virus and subsequently, on days 4 and 7 of the i nfection, injected with 0.5 mu Ci [C-14]TCDD (about 65 mu g/kg). An un infected group was injected with [C-14]TCDD and served as the control group. Spleen, thymus, heart, pancreas, liver and brain were dissected 24 h after isotope injection, and the [C-14]TCDD content of the tissu es was determined by standard liquid scintillation techniques. On day 7, whole body autoradiography was also performed, 4 h after the isotop e injection. Our results clearly show that there is an increased TCDD uptake in the selected tissues during the CB3 infection and that this increased uptake is most pronounced on day 4 post inoculation, which c orresponds to the peak of viraemia. It was found that the total tissue concentrations of TCDD were significantly increased on day 4 in the b rain, pancreas, heart, spleen and liver. In the spleen, heart and brai n they were still significantly increased on day 7. The considerable m etabolic and immunological changes that generally are caused by infect ions might explain the change in accumulation of TCDD. It is possible that the increased uptake of TCDD affects the immune cells involved in repair of inflammatory tissue lesions, thereby affecting the progress ion of the disease.