Toll-like receptors expression in the lungs of human metapneumovirus infected mice and the effects of polyI:C on viral infection / 病毒学报

ABSTRACT

To investigate the expression changes of Toll-like receptors (TLR) in the lungs of human metapneumovirus infected BALB/c mice, and to explore the effects of PolyI:C on viral replication, HMPV-infected group, PolyI:C+hMPV group, PolyI:C+DMED group and DMEM control group were set up for this study. All mice were sacrificed on day 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 16 post inoculation. Lungs were used for viral titration, pulmonary histopathology and detection of TLRs mRNA expression by RT-PCR and real-time PCR. Results showed that the levels of viral replication in the lungs of PolyI:C+hMPV infected mice were significantly decreased and lung inflammation were also lessened compared with those of hMPV infected mice. RT-PCR detection showed that mRNA levels of most TLRs were up-regulated (P < 0.05) in the lungs of hMPV infected group compared with DMEM group. Real time PCR assay showed that TLR7-8 mRNA significantly increased in hMPV infected group in a time-dependent manner. The level of TLR3 mRNA was significantly up-regulated in PolyI:C+hMPV group at the 24 hour after intranasal inoculation. The results showed that hMPV infection up-regulated the expression of TLRs in lungs of BALB/c mice and TLR7/8 pathway might play an important role in the start of natural immune response. PolyI:C was capable of inhibiting viral replication in the lung of mice and reducing lung inflammation probably through the early activation of TLR3.