Expression of intermediate filaments (N200 and NT3) and Tau protein in the cerebellum of dogs naturally infected with canine Distemper virus

Abstract

Canine distemper is a contagious disease occurring in dogs, whose etiologic agent belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus. The canine distemper virus or also called the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is enveloped, by an RNA strand with single negative polarity, including biological properties of infecting different cell types: epithelial cells, mesenchymal, hematopoietic, and different organs and/or tissues neuroendocrine. In this study, the main objectives focus primarily on detecting the expression of Tau protein and N200 and NT3 neurofilament (neutrophilia 3) in canine cerebellum positive for canine distemper infection. Criteria for inclusion (CI) for this study are 30% of the samples and they should include: young, adults, and seniors dogs, positive for canine distemper, with no clinical suspicion of another associated infectious disease. From the results, this study expects to contribute to elucidating the Tau protein expression associated with the distribution of neurofilament presence, which could be discussed and compared to other inflammatory processes caused by infection and/or neurodegenerative processes in human beings. (AU)