Metabolic Activity of Macrophages Infected with Hantavirus, an Agent of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

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N. G. Plekhova^*, L. M. Somova, R. A. Slonova, G. G. Companets, V. V. Luk'yanova, and N. V. Yakubovich

Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, ul. Sel'skaya 1, 690087 Vladivostok, Russia; fax: (4232) 441-147; E-mail: pl_nat@hotmail.com

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received June 16, 2004; Revision received November 11, 2004

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Monocytes/macrophages are thought to play an important role in pathogenesis of viral infections. These cells are involved in distribution and persistence of viruses in the organism and also influence the regulation of immune reactions. The functional and enzymatic activities of macrophages infected with an agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome were analyzed for the first time. This disease is caused by a virus of the Hantavirus genus, the Bunyaviridae family. Activities of ectoenzymes 5´-nucleotidase and ATPase of the plasma membrane of the hantavirus-infected macrophages decreased along with the antigen accumulation in the infected cells. The contact of phagocytes with hantavirus resulted in activation in the cells of the oxygen-dependent metabolism and NO-synthase. The NO-synthase-dependent system of the infected macrophages was activated earlier than their oxygen-dependent system. The intracellular contents of acid and alkaline phosphatases increased within the first hours after the infection. The bactericidal activity of the hantavirus-infected macrophages relatively to Staphylococcus aureus increased during the specific antigen accumulation in the phagocytes. Thus, the infection of macrophages with hantavirus was associated with intracellular metabolic changes.

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KEY WORDS: monocytes/macrophages, hantavirus, cytoplasmic membrane enzymes, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species

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