This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Coxsackievirus B and Adenoviruses are the most common viral pathogens implicated in the development of human myocarditis, and gain entry into cells via the Coxsackie Adenovirus Receptor (CAR). We examined CAR expression in non-human primates, using RT- PCR, immunoblot, and immunofluorescence. These data suggest indicate that myocarditis and other manifestations of CVB infection in newborns may reflect higher CAR expression. Baseline ECG, antibody levels to coxsackievirus, and echocardiograms were obtained in 8 cynomolgus monkeys. Initial training for minimally invasive cardiac biopsy techniques has been completed. Initially, five monkeys were inoculated IV and one monkey was inoculated orally with cocsackievirus. Preliminary results indicated that the monkeys became infected by both routes, with higher viral loads in IV inoculated animals. The final three monkeys of the study were inoculated IV with a strain of coxsackievirus B isolated from the myocardium of a human patient with severe myocarditis. This strain was cultured in vitro and caused acute myocardial changes as assessed by echocardiography. Current results indicate that cynomolgus macaques are a useful model of coxsackie virus infection in humans.
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