A HEPATITIS VIRUS INFECTED GROUND SQUIRREL COLONY

三年前我们在比奇地松鼠身上发现了肝炎病毒 具有超微结构、抗原性、分子和生物学特性的GSHV 与人B肝炎病毒（HBV）和土拨鼠肝炎病毒相似 病毒（WHV）。 在过去的3年里，我们研究了GSHV的宿主范围， 它的抗原和多肽结构，它的DNA结构和病毒 DNA在受感染的肝脏中形成。 很少或没有肝炎，没有肝细胞瘤， 在慢性GSHV感染的地松鼠中观察到， 中重型肝炎和肝癌常见于WHV 感染的土拨鼠和感染HBV的人类。 我们建议调查 肝病的发病率和严重程度差异的基础 不同的病毒宿主系统 我们会调查传染性， GSHV对土拨鼠和WHV对地松鼠的致病性， 试图确定两者致病性的差异是否 病毒，或两个主机的响应差异导致 观察到疾病发生率的差异。 我们会检查病毒DNA GSHV感染的地松鼠肝中的形式，并确定是否病毒 DNA整合到细胞DNA中，并将这些发现与 土拨鼠和人类系统的结果。 我们将研究 环境条件和黄曲霉毒素B1对GSHV致病作用的影响 在地松鼠身上。 我们将研究GSHV DNA在感染的 肝脏和组织培养细胞中，如果它们可以成功感染的话。 最后，我们将研究抗病毒药物对高滴度 在GSHV中观察到持续感染。

Three years ago we discovered a hepatitis virus in Beechey ground squirrels (GSHV) with ultrastructural, antigenic, molecular and biological properties similar to those of hepatitis B virus (HBV) of man and woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). In the past 3 years we have studied the host range of GSHV, its antigenic and polypeptide structure, its DNA structure and the viral DNA forms in infected liver. Little or no hepatitis and no hepatomas have been observed in chronically GSHV infected ground squirrels in contrast to moderately severe hepatitis and hepatomas frequently observed in WHV infected woodchucks and HBV infected humans. We propose to investigate the basis for the difference in incidence and severity of liver disease in the different virus-host systems. We will investigate the infectivity and pathogenicity of GSHV for woodchucks and WHV for ground squirrels to attempt to determine whether a difference in pathogenicity of the two virus, or a difference in response of the two hosts accounts for the observed difference in disease incidence. We will examine the viral DNA forms in GSHV infected ground squirrel liver and determine whether viral DNA becomes integrated in cellular DNA, and compare these findings with results in woodchuck and human systems. We will study the effects of environmental conditions and aflatoxin B1 on the pathogenic effects of GSHV in ground squirrels. We will study replication of GSHV DNA in infected liver and in tissue culture cells if they can be successfully infected. Finally, we will study the effect of antivirals on the high titer persistent infection seen in GSHV.