Research

Propagation of Asian isolates of canine distemper virus (CDV) in hamster cell lines

Serageldeen Sultan¹ , Nguyen Thi Lan^2,3 , Toshiki Ueda² , Ryoji Yamaguchi² , Ken Maeda¹ and Kazushige Kai¹

¹  Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan

²  Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan

³  Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy-Gia Lam-Ha Noi, Vietnam

author email corresponding author email

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2009, 51:38doi:10.1186/1751-0147-51-38

Published:	16 October 2009

Abstract

Backgrounds

The aim of this study was to confirm the propagation of various canine distemper viruses (CDV) in hamster cell lines of HmLu and BHK, since only a little is known about the possibility of propagation of CDV in rodent cells irrespective of their epidemiological importance.

Methods

The growth of CDV in hamster cell lines was monitored by titration using Vero.dogSLAMtag (Vero-DST) cells that had been proven to be susceptible to almost all field isolates of CDV, with the preparations of cell-free and cell-associated virus from the cultures infected with recent Asian isolates of CDV (13 strains) and by observing the development of cytopathic effect (CPE) in infected cultures of hamster cell lines.

Results

Eleven of 13 strains grew in HmLu cells, and 12 of 13 strains grew in BHK cells with apparent CPE of cell fusion in the late stage of infection. Two strains and a strain of Asia 1 group could not grow in HmLu cells and BHK cells, respectively.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrates at the first time that hamster cell lines can propagate the majority of Asian field isolates of CDV. The usage of two hamster cell lines suggested to be useful to characterize the field isolates biologically.