AUTHOR=Gautam Avishekh , Akauliya Madhav , Thapa Bikash , Park Byoung Kwon , Kim Dongbum , Kim Jinsoo , Lee Keunwook , Choi Kyung Chan , Bae Joon-Yong , Park Man-Seong , Lee Younghee , Kwon Hyung-Joo TITLE=Abdominal and Pelvic Organ Failure Induced by Intraperitoneal Influenza A Virus Infection in Mice JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01713 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.01713 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

In humans, respiratory infections with influenza A viruses can be lethal, but it is unclear whether non-respiratory influenza A infections can be equally lethal. Intraperitoneal infection makes the abdominal and pelvic organs accessible to pathogens because of the circulation of peritoneal fluid throughout the pelvis and abdomen. We found that high-dose intraperitoneal infection in mice with influenza A viruses resulted in severe sclerosis and structural damage in the pancreas, disruption of ovarian follicles, and massive infiltration of immune cells in the uterus. The intraperitoneal infections also caused robust upregulation of proinflammatory mediators including IL-6, BLC, and MIG. In addition, low-dose intraperitoneal infection with one influenza strain provided cross-protection against subsequent intraperitoneal or intranasal challenge with another influenza strain. Our results suggest that low-dose, non-respiratory administration might provide a route for influenza vaccination. Furthermore, these results provide insight on the pathological role of influenza A viruses in high-risk patients, including women and diabetic individuals.