<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0008_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p><italic>Lagovirus europaeus</italic> is a single-stranded RNA virus causing an acute fatal disease in wild and domestic rabbits around the world. Studies have shown that the pivotal process impacting the immune response against the disease is apoptosis, registered mainly in hepatocytes and in peripheral blood, together with an increased number of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs). It is known that cytotoxic lymphocytes can induce target cells to undergo apoptosis on the pseudoreceptor pathway, such apoptosis having been found in several acute and chronic viral infections. The study aimed to assess the crosstalk between the apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes and CD8+ T lymphocytes (as CTLs) in rabbits infected with 6 <italic>Lagovirus europaeus</italic> GI.1a viruses.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0008_s_006">
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>Sixty rabbits of Polish hybrid breed comprising both sexes and weighing 3.2–4.2 kg were the experimental group, and an identical group was the control. Each of the six GI.1a <italic>Lagovirus europaeus</italic> viruses was inoculated into ten experimental rabbits. Control rabbits received glycerol as a placebo. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on blood from the study and control group animals for peripheral blood lymphocyte apoptosis and CTL percentage determination.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0008_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>The activation of apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes was recorded from 4 h post inoculation (p.i.) up to 36 h p.i. The percentage of CTLs in the total blood pool decreased from 8 to 36 h p.i. A negative correlation between apoptosis of lymphocytes and the number of CTLs was proven.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0008_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>This may be the first evidence of virus-induced CTL apoptosis in <italic>Lagovirus europaeus</italic> GI.1a infection.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Lagovirus europaeus is a single-stranded RNA virus causing an acute fatal disease in wild and domestic rabbits around the world. Studies have shown that the pivotal process impacting the immune response against the disease is apoptosis, registered mainly in hepatocytes and in peripheral blood, together with an increased number of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs). It is known that cytotoxic lymphocytes can induce target cells to undergo apoptosis on the pseudoreceptor pathway, such apoptosis having been found in several acute and chronic viral infections. The study aimed to assess the crosstalk between the apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes and CD8+ T lymphocytes (as CTLs) in rabbits infected with 6 Lagovirus europaeus GI.1a viruses.


Material and Methods
Sixty rabbits of Polish hybrid breed comprising both sexes and weighing 3.2–4.2 kg were the experimental group, and an identical group was the control. Each of the six GI.1a Lagovirus europaeus viruses was inoculated into ten experimental rabbits. Control rabbits received glycerol as a placebo. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on blood from the study and control group animals for peripheral blood lymphocyte apoptosis and CTL percentage determination.


Results
The activation of apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes was recorded from 4 h post inoculation (p.i.) up to 36 h p.i. The percentage of CTLs in the total blood pool decreased from 8 to 36 h p.i. A negative correlation between apoptosis of lymphocytes and the number of CTLs was proven.


Conclusion
This may be the first evidence of virus-induced CTL apoptosis in Lagovirus europaeus GI.1a infection.

Crosstalk between apoptosis and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the course of <italic>Lagovirus europaeus</italic> GI.1a infection in rabbits

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Crosstalk between apoptosis and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the course of  GI.1a infection in rabbits

Introduction
Lagovirus europaeus is a single-stranded RNA virus causing an acute fatal disease in wild and domestic rabbits around the world. Studies have...

Crosstalk between apoptosis and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the course of Lagovirus europaeus GI.1a infection in rabbits

Published Online: Feb 28, 2023

Page range: 41 - 47

Received: Aug 16, 2022

Accepted: Feb 13, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0008

Keywords
RHDV, rabbit, apoptosis, cytotoxic lymphocytes

© 2023 P. Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Crosstalk between apoptosis and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the course of Lagovirus europaeus GI.1a infection in rabbits

Published Online: Feb 28, 2023

Page range: 41 - 47

Received: Aug 16, 2022

Accepted: Feb 13, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0008

KeywordsRHDV, rabbit, apoptosis, cytotoxic lymphocytes

© 2023 P. Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
RHDV, rabbit, apoptosis, cytotoxic lymphocytes