ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper was to study the pathogenesis of wild-type Herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2) primary intravaginal (IVAG) infection in genetically athymic (nude) mice. Nude (nu/nu) N: NIH(S) and Balb/c mice, as well as their euthymic counterparts were IVAG infected with 5 x 10(5) pfu of HSV-2. The progression of the infection was followed by HSV-2 immunolabeling using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique in tissue sections of the whole body, electron microscopy, and viremia titration at two different timepoints. 70 per cent of athymic NIH mice, 30 per cent of euthymic NIH mice, and 80 per cent of both athymic and euthymic Balb/c mice developed acute vulvovaginitis and died between 8-10 days post-infection (pi). Viremia was not detected in either athymic or euthymic mice. HSV-2 replicated in the vulvovaginal, vesical and perianal epithelia, then progressed towards the central nervous system mainly along autonomic nerves and ganglia. HSV-2 antigens were not detected in liver, spleen, kidney, skin, heart, lung or bone marrow. The conclusion is that the T-cell immune response seems to limit the IVAG infection of NIH mice at the inoculation site, but is not involved in preventing HSV-2 dissemination through the blood.