SOCIAL STRESS AND THE REACTIVATION OF LATENT HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1

Psychological stress is thought to contribute to reactivation of laten t herpes simplex virus (HSV). Although several animal models have been developed in an effort to reproduce different pathogenic aspects of H SV keratitis or labialis, until now, no good animal model existed in w hich application of a psychological laboratory stressor results in rel iable reactivation of the virus. Reported herein, disruption of the so cial hierarchy within colonies of mice increased aggression among coho rts, activated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and caused rea ctivation of latent HSV type 1 in greater than 40% of latently infecte d animals. However, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal a xis using restraint stress did not activate the latent virus. Thus, th e use of social stress in mice provides a good model in which to inves tigate the neuroendocrine mechanisms that underlie behaviorally mediat ed reactivation of latent herpesviruses.