Experimental evidence of metabolic disturbance in the white shrimp Penaeus vannamei induced by the Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV).

The Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) is a single-stranded DNA virus that infects several penaeid shrimp species, provoking economic losses in farmed shrimp populations estimated at several million of dollars. Furthermore, IHHNV has historically been considered an important threat for wild shrimp populations, but its real measurable impact remains unknown. Currently no treatments are available against IHHNV, and research to develop potential antiviral strategies depends on a detailed understanding of the viral life cycle. However, the exact pathophysiological events underlying the development of metabolic changes in IHHNV-infected shrimp are still unknown. Thus, the biochemical changes caused by the IHHNV infection in plasma and hepatopancreas of the economically important shrimp species Penaeus vannamei were evaluated. Glucose, lactate, total protein, glycogen, triacylglycerides, cholesterol, and total lipids were measured in healthy and IHHNV-infected shrimp. Significant changes were observed in energy substrates (glucose, lactate, triacylglycerides and cholesterol), in plasma and hepatopancreas. These changes may indicate a temporal sequestration of the host-cell metabolic pathways by the virus to maximize its replication and propagation.