Ultrastructure of the Optic Neuritis Induced by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Injection in Rabbits.

Kim, Jong Woo; Shin, Woo Jae; Ko, Myung Kyoo

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2002;43(8):1516-1521.
Published online August 1, 2002.

Ultrastructure of the Optic Neuritis Induced by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Injection in Rabbits.

Jong Woo Kim, Woo Jae Shin, Myung Kyoo Ko

¹Dr. Jong Woo Kim Eye Clinic, Yongin, Korea.
²Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. fovea@hanyang.ac.kr

토끼에서 단순포진 바이러스-1 접종후 실험적 시신경염

김종우 ( Jong Woo Kim ) , 신우재 ( Woo Jae Shin ) , 고명규 ( Myung Kyoo Ko )

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to investigate the ultrastructural changes of the optic nerve after intravitreal injection of herpes simplex virus-1. METHODS: Herpes simplex virus was separated from the culture media after observing the cytopathic effect on cultured vero cells. Viruses were then injected on the optic nerve head of 21 rabbit eyes. Eyes were enucleated at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 days after injection of herpes simplex virus and examined under the electron microscope. RESULTS: The intranuclear inclusion body was noted in eyes examined at 2 days after injection. The histopathological changes were perivascular infiltration of inflammatory cells, cytoskeletal degeneration of large diameter of myelinated nerve, demyelination of axonal nerve fiber, and the accumulation of mitochondria within axonal nerve fiber. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that optic neuritis may be induced by herpes simplex virus. The accumulation of mitochondria may be related to the interruption of the axonal transport through the axonal nerve fibers of optic nerve.

Key Words: Axonal nerve fiber;Herpes simplex virus;Optic neuritis;Ultrastructure