Changes in astrocytes of the mice brain induced by infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and modeling of hemorrhagic stroke were examined by recording immunohistochemical labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and measuring the perimeters of astrocyte profiles. Five groups of BALB/c mice were examined: 1, intact animals (control); 2, animals infected with HSV-1 (museum strain, group HSV); 3, animals with modeled hemorrhagic stroke (HS); 4, animals with HSV-1 infection and subsequently developed HS (HSV+HS), and 5, animals infected with HSV-1 and with HS, which were treated by acyclovir (50 mg/kg, i.p., for 10 days; HSV+HS+ACV). Intracerebral hematomas in the HS groups were created by injection of autologous blood into the right hemisphere. Immunohistochemical assay revealed that herpetic infection induced hyperactivation of brain astroglial cells; somewhat more moderate activation of the astroglial cells was observed in the case of experimental stroke. Cortical and hippocampal astrocytes in the groups with HS and viral infection were characterized by significantly greater average values of visible perimeters of the sections of these cells. Administration of acyclovir to the infected mice provided significant reduction of the density and perimeter of the GFAP-positive astrocytes in the cortex and area CA1 of the hippocampus compared to groups 2, 3, and 4 (P < 0.05). Morphological and immunohistochemical changes in astrocytes indicate that acyclovir has a potential for modulation of the level of brain astroglia reactivation during herpetic infection. The specific protein of the astrocytes (GFAP) may serve as a marker of the efficacy of neurotropic action of antiviral drugs.
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Gumenyuk, A.V., Tykhomyrov, A.A., Savosko, S.I. et al. State of Astrocytes in the Mice Brain under Conditions of Herpes Viral Infection and Modeled Stroke. Neurophysiology 50, 326–331 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-019-09757-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11062-019-09757-0