Endocrine Factors in Pathogenesis of Experimental Poliomyelitis in Hamsters. Rolde of Iuoculatory and Environmental Stress

Abstract

The incidence of paralytic poliomyelitis in experimentally infected hamsters depended upon a variety of factors such as inoculatory trauma, environmental stress, and diet. A linear correlation was found between incidence of adrenal hypertrophy and incidence of paralytic disease induced by the above factors in 2 series of hamsters inoculated simultaneously, one with pathogen-free material, the other with MEF1 virus. Seasonal fluctuations in adrenal reactivity to the inoculatory trauma were closely associated with parallel fluctuations in susceptibility to poliomyelitis. Either, adaptation to chronic environmental stress, or rapid disappearance of the virus from certain inoculated tissues, interfered with the above correlation. The mechanism by which endocrine glands and hormones may influence the progression of virus is discussed.