Host selenium status selectively influences susceptibility to experimentalviral myocarditis

The purpose of the present work was to determine whether dietary selenium ( Se) deficiency could influence the injurious effect of human viruses other than Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) on mouse heart. Weanling C3H/HeN mice were f ed a Se-deficient or Se-adequate diet for 4 wk and then were inoculated int raperitoneally with one of the following viruses: Coxsackie virus B1 (CVB1) , echovirus 9 (EV9), Coxsackie virus A9 (CVA9), or herpes simplex 1 (HSV1). Polio virus 1 (PV1) was employed as a negative control. Prior to inoculati on, mean serum Se levels were 430 versus 61 ng/ml in adequate versus defici ent mice, respectively. Ten days later, hearts were removed and processed b y routine histological procedures. Cardiac lesions were scored according to the number and size of myocarditic foci. Significantly greater heart damag e resulting from CVB1 and EV9 was observed in Se-deficient than in Se-adequ ate mice, and the Se status had no influence on CVA9-induced myocarditis. I n contrast, heart damage caused by HSV1 was significantly milder in Se-defi cient than in Se-adequate mice. Therefore, it may be concluded that the Se status of the murine host selectively influences the degree of viral-induce d myocarditic lesions.