Effects of neonatal rat Borna disease virus (BDV) infection on the postnatal development of the brain monoaminergic systems

Effects of neonatal Borna disease virus infection (BDV) on the postnatal de velopment of brain monoaminergic systems in rats were studied. Tissue conte nt of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyp henol acetic acid (DOPAC), and serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite, 5-hydro xyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) were assayed by means of HPLC-EC in frontal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, hypothalamus and striatum of neonatally B DV-infected and sham-inoculated male Lewis rats of 8, 14, 21, 60 and 90 day s of age. Both NE and 5-HT concentrations were significantly affected by ne onatal BDV infection. The cortical and cerebellar levels of NE and 5-HT wer e significantly greater in BDV-infected rats than control animals at postna tal days (PND) 60 and 90. Tissue content of NE in hippocampus was unaffecte d. In hippocampus, neonatally BDV-infected rats had lower 5-HT levels at PN D 8 and significantly elevated levels at PND 21 and onwards. Neither striat al levels of 5-HT nor hypothalamic levels of 5-HT and NE were affected by n eonatal BDV infection, suggesting that the monoamine systems in the prenata lly maturing brain regions are less sensitive to effects of neonatal viral infection. 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio was not altered in BDV-infected rats indicatin g no changes in the 5-HT turnover in the brain regions damaged by the virus . Neither DA nor DOPAC/DA ratio was affected by neonatal BDV infection in a ny of the brain regions examined. The present data demonstrate significant and specific alterations in monoaminergic systems in neonatally BDV-infecte d rats. This pattern of changes is consistent with the previously reported behavioral abnormalities resulting from neonatal BDV infection. (C) 2000 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.