Ultrastructural Study of Pancreas in Mice Infected with Foot and Mouth Disease Virus

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, clinically acute, vesicular disease of cloven-hoofed animals including domesticated ruminants and pigs and more than 70 different wildlife species. The aetiological agent, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), is classified within the Aphthovirus genus as a member of the Picornaviridae family. Seven distinct serotypes of FMDV, with indistinguishable clinical effects, have been defined, namely types O, A, C, SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3 and Asia 1 mountain gazelles. Synchronous diabetes mellitus and FMDV in cattle and mountain ghazal is reported.This study was performed to study FMD virus effects on pancreas of infected animals.For this purpose ,14 male and 14 female mice Balb/Cj in two groups were selected.In each group,10 mice were as experimental animals and the rest were control animals.Twelve of each group (10 mice of experimental group and 2 mice of control group) were treated by cyclophosphamide (as an immunosupressive drug).Ten mice of experimental group were inoculated with FMD virus strain O1 intraperitoanally .The serum glucose were measured in all mice before and after virus inoculation up to 10 days. After 10 days, necropsy were carried out on all mice. Two samples of each pancreas were taken and referred to the pathological laboratory for light and electron microscopic studies.The results showed that in male group, there was a significant difference among glucose values at second day up to inoculation and seventh day to ninth day, and tenth day respectively. In female group, there was significant differences in glucose values of first day up to inoculation ,first day to second and third day of inoculation and finally second day to third ,fifth and eight day of inoculation (P