I R MacGregor1, O Drummond. 1. Products and Components Research Group, National Science Laboratory, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, 21 Ellen's Glen Road, Edinburgh EH17 7QT, UK. ian.macgregor@snbts.csa.scot.nhs.uk
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The concern that variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease could be transmitted via blood transfusion has prompted studies of blood infectivity in animal models. As normal prion protein acts as a substrate for conversion to the abnormal form associated with infectivity, we have quantified its distribution in mice and hamsters, the most commonly used animal models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was used to measure normal prion protein in hamster and mouse tissues, including blood. RESULTS: Levels of prion protein in hamster blood were remarkably low compared with human blood. In contrast, levels in mouse blood were quite similar to human blood; however, there were differences in the distribution of normal prion between cellular and cell-free fractions. CONCLUSION: Differences between levels of normal prion in blood of animal models and humans should be considered as a possible contributor to infectivity study outcomes in these models.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The concern that variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease could be transmitted via blood transfusion has prompted studies of blood infectivity in animal models. As normal prion protein acts as a substrate for conversion to the abnormal form associated with infectivity, we have quantified its distribution in mice and hamsters, the most commonly used animal models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was used to measure normal prion protein in hamster and mouse tissues, including blood. RESULTS: Levels of prion protein in hamster blood were remarkably low compared with human blood. In contrast, levels in mouse blood were quite similar to human blood; however, there were differences in the distribution of normal prion between cellular and cell-free fractions. CONCLUSION: Differences between levels of normal prion in blood of animal models and humans should be considered as a possible contributor to infectivity study outcomes in these models.
Authors: Anthony L Lau; Alice Y Yam; Melissa M D Michelitsch; Xuemei Wang; Carol Gao; Robert J Goodson; Robert Shimizu; Gulliver Timoteo; John Hall; Angelica Medina-Selby; Doris Coit; Colin McCoin; Bruce Phelps; Ping Wu; Celine Hu; David Chien; David Peretz Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2007-06-29 Impact factor: 11.205