Attempts to Establish an Animal Model for HTLV-Ⅰ infection and Development of Leukemia/Lymphoma in Rabbits

HTLV-Ⅰ positive rabbit lymphoblastoid cell lines (T2M-1 and T2M-2) were established by the coculture of a HTLV-Ⅰ infected human T cell line MT-2 and lymphocytes from two rabbits (M-1 and M-2). Cells of T2M-1 and T2M-2 lines ware inoculated autologously in these animals, and HTLV-Ⅰ speific antibodies appeared 2 and 6 weeks post inoculation (p.i.), respectively. Immunoprecipitation showed that these anti-HTLV-Ⅰ antibodies were mainly directed against viral glycopolypeptides, gp68 and gp46. HTLV-Ⅰ specific antigens (ATLA) were detected on peripheral lymphocytes from both rabbits with established from these cultured cells. Biochemical analysis of these cell lines showed that they had ATLA and proviral DNA of HTLV-Ⅰ. Genomic DNA patterns with Southern blotting analysis represented distinct patterns lymphocytes from inoculated rabbits, but no animal developed leukemia/lymphoma. At this time, cell line could not be established by the cell culture. Althogh we failed to develop leukemia/lymphoma in rabbits, this system is useful to study the mechanism of development of leukemia/lymphoma from HTLV-Ⅰ carrier or smoldering state of ATL.

HTLV-Ⅰinfection

Animal model of ATL

Rabbit

Lymphoma

leukemia

ATLA