Dilated cardiomyopathy in retrovirally infected mice: A novel model for silent viral DCM?

Julie Beischel, Douglas F. Larson, Qianli Yu, Bo Yang, Ramon Tomas Sepúlveda, Tara Kelley, Ronald R. Watson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a clinically relevant disease that can occur independently or secondary to other diseases such as HIV infection and AIDS. To study this latter process, we used a model in which mice are infected with the LP-BM5 murine AIDS (MAIDS) retrovirus. Cardiac function of control and infected mice was determined through the in vivo analysis of left ventricular pressure-volume loops. Furthermore, the role of myocarditis was investigated through immunohistochemistry for T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage cardiac infiltrates and Northern blot analysis for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). End-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were significantly increased and ventricular stiffness was significantly decreased in infected mice, consistent with DCM; however, no staining for inflammatory cellular infiltrates or TNF-α and iNOS was seen. These data support the conclusion that the LP-BM5 HIV model virus causes DCM in the absence of chronic cardiac inflammation. These findings support MAIDS retroviral infection as a new model of idiopathic DCM in which myocarditis does not occur.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)317-325
Number of pages9
JournalCardiovascular toxicology
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2004

Keywords

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy
  • Murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
  • Viral myocarditis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Toxicology
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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