Endothelial cell permeability and adherens junction disruption induced by junín virus infection

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Jun;90(6):993-1002. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0382. Epub 2014 Apr 7.

Abstract

Junín virus (JUNV) is endemic to the fertile Pampas of Argentina, maintained in nature by the rodent host Calomys musculinus, and the causative agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF), which is characterized by vascular dysfunction and fluid distribution abnormalities. Clinical as well as experimental studies implicate involvement of the endothelium in the pathogenesis of AHF, although little is known of its role. JUNV has been shown to result in productive infection of endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro with no visible cytopathic effects. In this study, we show that direct JUNV infection of primary human ECs results in increased vascular permeability as measured by electric cell substrate impedance sensing and transwell permeability assays. We also show that EC adherens junctions are disrupted during virus infection, which may provide insight into the role of the endothelium in the pathogenesis of AHF and possibly, other viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adherens Junctions / virology*
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Catenins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane Permeability
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism
  • Delta Catenin
  • Dextrans / metabolism*
  • Disease Reservoirs
  • Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / analogs & derivatives*
  • Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / metabolism
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, American / virology*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Junin virus / physiology*
  • Permeability
  • Sigmodontinae / virology*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • CCL2 protein, human
  • Cadherins
  • Catenins
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Dextrans
  • IL6 protein, human
  • Interleukin-6
  • cadherin 5
  • fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran
  • Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate
  • Delta Catenin