Growth of group A rotaviruses in a human liver cell line

✍ Scribed by Kathleen B. Schwarz; Tara J. Moore; Rodney E. Willoughby Jr.; Siok-Bi Wee; Steven L. Vonderfecht; Robert H. Yolken

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 652 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840120403

✦ Synopsis

Recent observations in children with rotavirus gastroenteritis and in infant mice given rotavirus vaccine by oral administration suggest that this well-known gastrointestinal pathogen may infect the liver. To examine this possibility, the susceptibility of Hep 6 2 cells to infection with a variety of rotavirus strains was tested. These cells were used because they are con- sidered to be well differentiated and exhibit many liver-specific functions. The Hep 6 2 cells supported the growth of the simian strain rhesus rotavirus (MMU 180061, a strain currently being used in vaccine trials, but did not support the growth of any human strain (D, DS1, Price or ST3). The rhesus rotavirus infection was cytopathic and resulted in release of lactate dehydrogenase. Rhesus rotavirus growth in Hep 6 2 cells displayed trypsin-enhanced infectivity and was in- hibited by pretreatment of cells with Arthrobacter ureufaciens neuraminidase but not with neuraminidase from Ckstridiurn perfringem. Hep 6 2 cells were also permissive for another simian strain @All), a bovine strain (UK) and single gene substitution reassortants containing VP7 (the mqjor outer capsid neutralization protein) from a human rotavirus strain and the remaining 10 genes from either rhesus rotavirus or UK. In general, UK and its reassortants produced lower levels of antigen than did rhesus rotavirus and its reassortants. Hep 6 2 cells and other hepatic cell lines may prove to be useful tools to explore the hepatotropic potential of wild-type rotaviruses and candidate vaccine strains. (HEPATOLOGY 1990; 12:638-

643.)

Rotaviruses are reported to infect primarily the mature enterocytes of the intestinal villi (1). However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the liver may also be a site of infection. Several authors (2-5) have reported elevation of serum aminotransferases in approximately one third of infants and children tested during naturally acquired human rotavirus infection.