Studies on attenuation of rotavirus. A comparison in piglets between virulent virus and its attenuated derivative.

The development of rotavirus vaccines against acute gastroenteritis for human infants has been accorded a very high priority. Several vaccine candidates all of which are live cultivated strains of animal origin have been tested in humans. However the nature of attenuation of these viruses for humans is unknown. In this study we have attenuated a pig rotavirus by 15 sequential passages in cell culture after which the virus no longer causes diarrhoea in piglets. The pathogenesis of infection of the attenuated rotavirus strain (AT/76 P15) in gnotobiotic piglets was compared with that of the virulent parent strain (AT/76). The pattern of virus replication in the small intestine was judged by histology, disaccharidase assay, immunoperoxidase labelling of gut sections using group A specific rotavirus antibody, and rotavirus antigen assay of gut contents. The parent strain caused variable but extensive infection that resulted in the complete destruction of mature small intestinal enterocytes and villous contraction within 3 days. Membrane bound digestive enzymes were lost, and profound watery diarrhoea and dehydration resulted in causing piglets to become moribund. In contrast attenuated virus appeared to propagate at a much slower pace. Fewer infected epithelial cells were detected at any one time. Destruction of enterocytes was never extensive enough to cause marked mucosal changes in histology. Membrane bound digestive enzymes remained near normal levels and there was little or no diarrhoea. Virus replication ceased after 6 days. It is concluded that attenuation of the porcine rotavirus strain studied was associated with its decreased ability to propagate in enterocytes after adaption to culture.