Detection of viral DNA and activation of latent herpes simplex virus in the rabbit neural tissue.

Both trigeminal ganglia, brain stem, and cornea from rabbits with established latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection were examined by explantation and by spot blot hybridization using strain 17 Kpn I fragments i, d, and h and the DNA extracted from above mentioned tissues. Correlation between positive hybridization and reactivation of infectious virus in the cultured explants was documented by enhanced hybridization with the DNA extracts from explanted ganglion samples. In addition, we found positive hybridization in some noncultured ganglion and brain stem samples which did not yield infectious virus by explantation. Keeping in mind the pitfalls of false positive hybridization, the results may indicate during latency the presence in neural tissues of HSV DNA sequences which did not spontaneously reactivate in culture.