A novel SIV-infection Animal Model based on Nude Mice Inoculated with MT-2 Cells

Abstract

Abstract To establish a new small animal model supporting Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) replication in vivo, male BALB/c nude mice, aged three weeks, were subjected to a single intraperitoneal injection of SIV-infected MT-2 cells (human T-cell leukemia cells). Subsequently, alterations in plasma viral load and the colonization of MT-2 cells in vivo were investigated, while changes in the immune system were assessed through ELISA and flow cytometry assays. Notably, all mice within the model group exhibited detectable plasma viral loads in peripheral blood, primarily attributed to the proliferation of SIV-infected MT-2 cells that replenished the T cells in nude mice and colonized the abdominal cavities and lymph nodes, thereby releasing free virions to sustain the infection. Importantly, it is noteworthy that the HAART group demonstrated a statistically significant decline in plasma viral loads. The administration of HAART partially reversed the trend of SIV-associated immune collapse. Reasonably, the model proposed within this study holds substantial potential as a valuable tool to evaluate the antiviral effects and efficacy of immune regulation in an in vivo setting.