Brief Communication : Effect of Feline Leukemia Virus on Transferred Hamster Fetuses 2

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Hamster blastocysts were incubated in vitro with a Rickard strain of feline leukemia virus (FelLV), then transferred to the uteri of recipient foster mothers. The developing fetuses were removed on day 7, 11, or 14 of pregnancy; on days 11 and 14 the embryos were classified as grossly normal fetuses or abnormal embryonic sites (i.e., moles) and examined with the electron microscope for free or budding type-C virus. Exogenous virus was taken up and replicated in the embryos. In addition, a small proportion of hamster fetuses contained endogenous type-C virus particles. Thus while 71% of the virusincubated embryos had budding type-C particles on the 7th day, 14% of the controls incubated in FellY-free medium also had budding virus particles. On days 11 and 14, virus particles were associated with abnormal embryonic sites but not with grossly normal fetuses. Furthermore, the proportion of embryos in the virus-treated group that developed normally to day 14 was significantly lower than in the control group. This suggested that replication of overt type-C virus may interfere with early embryonic development in the hamster.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: