Neonatal rhesus monkeys as an animal model for rotavirus infection

Figure 1 Rotavirus antigen shedding in feces of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum from 0 dpi to 14 dpi. A: 10 mL of 10⁸ PFUs of SA11; B: 10 mL of 10⁷ PFUs of SA11; C: 10 mL of 10⁶ PFUs of SA11; D: 10 mL of medium without serum. PFUs: Plaque forming units.

Figure 2 Immunofluorescence of rotavirus antigen in the jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum. A-C: The jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with medium without serum at 3 dpi; D-F: Jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11/monkey at 3 dpi. The glass slides were incubated with goat anti-rotavirus (RV) polyclonal antibody and then incubated with rabbit anti-goat IgG antibody labeled with FITC (green). Cell nuclei are shown with DAPI staining (blue). White arrows indicate representative RV-positive cells. Magnification, × 20. Bar: 50 μm.

Figure 3 Comparison of viral load in different organs of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum. A: Viral load in the jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum at 2 dpi and 3 dpi; B: Viral load in kidney of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum at 2 dpi and 3 dpi; C: Viral load in the mesenteric lymph nodes of neonatal rhesus monkeys inoculated with SA11 or medium without serum at 2 dpi and 3 dpi. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD, n = 3, ^aP < 0.01.

Figure 4 Histopathological changes and apoptosis in the small intestine of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with SA11 or medium without serum. A: The duodenum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with medium without serum at 3 dpi; B: The jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with medium without serum at 3 dpi; C: The ileum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with medium without serum at 3 dpi; D: The duodenum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11 at 3 dpi; E: The jejunum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11 at 3 dpi; F: The ileum of neonatal rhesus monkeys infected with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11 at 3 dpi; histopathological changes in the small intestinal tissues including vacuolization (white arrow), edema, atrophy, and breakage of the small intestinal villus cells (black arrow); G-J: Apoptosis of jejunal epithelial cells during SA11 infection detected by TUNEL assay; G: Inoculated with medium without serum at 2 dpi; H: Inoculated with medium without serum at 3 dpi; I: Inoculated with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11 at 2 dpi; J: Inoculated with 10⁸ PFUs of SA11 at 3 dpi; the numbers of apoptotic jejunal villus epithelial cells increased significantly at 3 dpi. Magnification: × 20. Bar: 50 μm.