A pantropic, attenuated RNA virus [TC83 strain of Venezuelan encephalitis (VE) virus] grew in hamster testes after intratesticular inoculation. Virus did not grow in testes after subcutaneous injection nor in uninoculated testes after unilateral testicular injection. Although viremia disappeared within 6 days when virus-neutralizing antibodies appeared in serum, viral growth in testes continued for 2-3 weeks after intratesticular inoculation. Virus also persisted for 12 days in testes of hamsters immunized 4 weeks previous to intratesticular inoculation. Thus, there seemed to be a barrier between germinal epithelium and blood to early virus-neutralizing antibodies which developed within 2-4 weeks of infection. Cytonecrosis, inflammation, depression in the number of germinal cells, atrophy, fibrosis and eventual sterility occurred with viral growth in testes of normal hamsters, but no histopathology other than atrophy and aspermia was seen in epididymides. Similar changes occurred in testes of some previously immunized hamsters. Virus antigen was found in diploid, but not haploid germinal cells, and virus (either attenuated or virulent VE) did not adsorb to or grow in sperm maintained in vitro. Males with infected testes and virus in the epididymis remained fertile for about 2 weeks after inoculation. Virus was only occasionally transferred to the uterus-vagina of normal females by copulation with males with infected testes, and only rarely did such females become infected. Usually, pregnancy developed and progressed normally, and no convincing transfer of virus to progeny occurred. In normal female hamsters inoculated intrauterinely or subcutaneously, virus did not reach higher concentrations in uteri than in blood, virus disappeared concurrently in both and no histopathology developed in uteri. However, infection of females by intrauterine inoculation of attenuated VE virus 2 hours before mating prevented pregnancy whereas intrauterine inoculation of saline or an adenovirus did not.

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Herpes simplex virus antigens and antibodies: a survey of studies based on quantitative immunoelectrophoresis.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 antigens extracted from infected cells with use of nonionic detergent produce a number of distinct immunoprecipitates in crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) with hyperimmune rabbit antibodies to herpes simplex virus. The analytic power of CIE combined with the use of single immunoprecipitates made it possible, for a number of individual antigens, to determine (1) the immunogenicity of the antigens in experimentally infected animals and naturally infected humans, (2) the distribution of type-common and type-specific antigenic determinants on the antigens, (3) the biochemical structures of the antigens, (4) the localization of the antigens on the infectious virus particle and in infected cells, and (5) the ability of the antigens to act as targets for neutralizing antibodies and for antibody-complement and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Two herpes simplex virus type-common, membrane-bound glycoproteins, Ag-11 (gA + gB) and Ag-8 (gD), which are localized on the surface of the viral envelope and in the membranes of infected cells, are the principal immunogens in infected humans. The monospecific antibodies against these two antigens neutralize the virus and cause cytolysis of infected cells in the tests mentioned above. Antibodies to glycoproteins carrying herpes simplex virus type-specific antigenic determinants also are present in infected humans. These antigens can be utilized in herpes simplex virus type-specific human serology, and the corresponding monospecific antibodies can be used for the typing of herpes simplex virus isolates.

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