Immunoglobulin treatment prevents congestive heart failure in murine encephalomyocarditis viral myocarditis associated with reduction of inflammatorycytokines

We have previously shown that immunoglobulin therapy suppressed murine coxs ackievirus B3 myocarditis. In the present study, we examined the effects of immunoglobulin upon murine myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis vir us, which is not pathogenic to humans. Antiviral activity of immunoglobulin (Venilon) against encephalomyocarditis virus could not be detected in vitr o. The production of cytokines was decreased in virus-infected macrophages by the treatment of immunoglobulin in vitro. Immunoglobulin (1 g/kg/day) wa s administered intraperitoneally to the virus-infected C3H/He mice daily fo r 2 weeks, beginning simultaneously with virus inoculation in experiment I and on day 14 after virus inoculation in experiment II. In experiment 1, su rvival rate did not differ significantly between immunoglobulin-treated and untreated groups. In experiment II, survival rate was higher in immunoglob ulin compared with control groups. Immunoglobulin administration suppressed the development of myocardial necrosis with T-lymphocyte infiltrates in mi ce not only in the acute viremic but in the chronic aviremic stages concomi tantly associated with the reduction of inflammatory cytokines, i.e., tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 , and interleukin-6. Taken together, immunoglobulin therapy could have the potential to prevent congestive heart failure.