RESUMO
The intracerebral (i.c.) infection of newborn mice with standard Sendai virus (SV), defective interfering Sendai virus (DV) and their mixture (SV + DV) has been used as a model for the possible role of defective interfering particles of paramyxoviruses in several chronic degenerative diseases of central nervous system (CNS). The dynamics of Sendai virus multiplication and virus distribution in CNS of mice, as well as the histological changes and the clinical symptoms were evaluated for up to 112 days post-infection (p.i.). The infectious virus was detected in the brains of animals inoculated i.c. either with SV, or DV, or SV + DV as soon as by 5 hr p.i., with maximum infectivity titre at 24 hr p.i. In brains of animals inoculated with SV, the virus was detected until 5th day p.i.; nevertheless in those, inoculated with SV + DV or DV, low infectious titres could be detected even at later intervals. In mice inoculated i.c. with DV, traces of Sendai virus were detected in subpassages, as late as 3 months p.i.
