Infection of rats with HTLV‐1: A small‐animal model for HTLV‐1 carriers

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Abstract
A human T‐cell line producing human T‐cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV‐1), MT‐2, was injected intravenously into female F344 rats aged 5 weeks to make HTLV‐1 carrier rats. Antibody against HTLV‐1 was detected at the 5th week after MT‐2 injection, and its titer reached a high plateau which continued from the 15th to the 27th week. The antibodies were against p 19, p24, p28 and p53 of HTLV‐1 antigens from MT‐2 cells. The gag, pX and LTR nucleotide sequences of HTLV‐1 provirus were demonstrated by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the peripheral‐blood mononuclear cells of 3 rats at the 44th week and 2 at the 66th to 68th week out of 8 F344 rats injected with MT‐2 cells. Quantification of the HTLV‐1 proviral sequence revealed that 30 to 60 molecules were present in 105 peripheral‐blood mononuclear cells, indicating that the rats were chronically infected with HTLV‐1. HTLV‐1‐infected rats could serve as a small‐animal model for studying the pathophysiological state of HTLV‐1 carriers and also that of HTLV‐1 infection on various HTLV‐1‐related diseases, including adult T‐cell leukemia and HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy.