Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58, 78-82, 2005
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Original Article
Infection Route-Independent Accumulation of Splenic Abnormal Prion Protein
Yuji Inoue1,2, Yoshio Yamakawa2, Akikazu Sakudo1, Tomoya Kinumi2, Yuko Nakamura1,2, Yoshitsugu Matsumoto1, Keiichi Saeki1, Tsuneo Kamiyama3, Takashi Onodera1,4* and Masahiro Nishijima2
1Department of Molecular Immunology, School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan 2Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and 3Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
(Received August 2, 2004. Accepted January 11, 2005)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Molecular Immunology, School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Tel: +81-3-5841-5196, Fax: +81-3-5841-8020, E-mail: aonoder@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
SUMMARY: The accumulation kinetics of the abnormal form of prion protein (PrPSc) in spleens and brains of scrapie (Obihiro-1)-infected mice at various times after intracerebral (i.c.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), or oral inoculation were studied. PrPSc was first detected by Western blotting with anti-prion protein antibodies on days 70 and 116 after i.c. (3 mg) in spleens and brains, respectively. Although the amount of cerebral PrPSc gradually increased to the maximum level on day 152 after i.c. inoculation, splenic PrPSc established the maximum level on day 116 after i.c. inoculation then registered slight decreases up to day 152 with further incubation. The detectable levels of cerebral PrPSc by Western blotting were established on day 231 or 259, whereas those of splenic PrPSc were detected on day 94 or 93, after i.p. and oral infection, respectively. The splenic PrPSc decreased slightly thereafter. These results indicate that splenic PrPSc increased before cerebral PrPSc established a detectable level in a manner independent of the inoculation route.