NR AXYO
AU Wemheuer,W.; Wrede,A.; Pfander,T.; Brenig,B.; Wemheuer,W.E.; Schulz-Schaeffer,W.J.
TI Pattern of Sheep Scrapie Spreading into the Brain
QU International Conference - Prion 2007 (26.-28.9.2007) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Book of Abstracts: Pathology and Pathogenesis P03.21
IA http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion Book of Abstracts.pdf
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB
It has been shown that an oral infection of hamsters with scrapie (263K) is followed by the spread of the infectious agent from the gastrointestinal tract along the splanchnic nerves to the midthoracic spinal cord and along the vagus nerves to the obex region (McBride et al., J Virol 2001). The findings in highly scrapie susceptible sheep, raised at premises where scrapie had been occurring, are remarkably similar and indicate that classical scrapie might be transferred orally as well (van Keulen et al., Arch Virol Suppl 2000). The sequential investigation of the brains of orally infected hamsters shows further that PrPsc is spreading from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus to thalamic nuclei and the frontal cortex (Schulz-Schaeffer et al., XIV. Int Conf Neuropathol 2000). In BSE and natural scrapie the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the solitary tract nucleus are the first affected structures of the brain, too (Schulz-Schaeffer et al., Am J Pathol 2000; van Keulen et al., Arch Virol Suppl 2000).
However, in this study we analyse the pattern of PrPsc distribution in brains of naturally infected sheep (field cases) from the point where the brain stem is reached. For that purpose we use the PET blot technique (Schulz-Schaeffer et al., Arch Virol Suppl 2000) which allows a sensitive topographical detection of PrPsc and thereby a specific identification of the affected structures. As the animals have been culled in the course of scrapie eradication when a flock proved to have scrapie, different stages of infection are present and make it possible to view the spread of PrPsc in the brain. Our findings support the idea of an oral infection with classical scrapie between the individuals of a flock.
AD W. Wemheuer, A. Wrede, T. Pfander, W.J. Schulz-Schaeffer, University of Göttingen, Neuropathology, Germany; B. Brenig, W.E. Wemheuer, University of Göttingen, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Germany
SP englisch
PO Schottland