Axonal transport of herpes simplex virus-1 in an in vitro model based on the isolated sciatic nerve of the frog Rana ridibunda.

An in vitro model for the study of the axonal transport of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) in the nerve fibres of the sciatic nerve of the frog Rana ridibunda, has been developed. The nerve was placed along a three-chambered bath consisting of three isolated chambers arranged in series: the stimulating, perfusion and recording chambers. The HSV-1 inoculum was placed in the stimulating chamber, where the proximal part of the isolated sciatic nerve was immersed. HSV-1 was detected after 24-36 h in the recording chamber, where the distal part of the nerve was immersed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), indicating an axonal transport speed of 46-60 mm/day. The evoked maximum compound action potentials generated in the stimulating chamber was monitored continuously in the recording chamber as an indication of the viability of the nerve during axonal transport. The in vitro method presented here is a useful tool for the pharmacological study of various parameters, e.g. drugs diluted in the perfusion chamber, ionising radiation and temperature, which may affect the axonal transport or other properties of HSV-1.