Apoptosis of granulocytes and lymphocytes in peripheral blood in rabbits infected with haemagglutinating and non-haemagglutinating antigenic variants of the RHD (rabbit haemorrhagic disease) virus

This paper attempts to study the dynamics of apoptosis of granulocytes and lymphocytes in peripheral blood in rabbits infected with haemagglutinating (Vt97, Triptis, Hartmannsdorf) and non-haemagglutinating (Pv97, 9905 RHDVa) antigenic variants of the RHD virus. The pathogenicity of those antigenic variants was also assessed by recording the mortality of the infected animals. The animals were infected with antigenic variants and blood was sampled at hour 0,4,8,12,24,36 p.i. and the percentage of apoptotic granulocytes and lymphocytes was measured with the use of flow cytometry. The results of the study showed that apoptosis is included during RHDV infection, as the number of apoptotic granulocytes and lymphocytes increases throughout the experiment; depending on the antigenic variant, apoptosis joins in at 4-8-12 h p.i. and lasts until 24-36 h p.i. Furthermore, the mortality of rabbits infected with the examined strains of RHD virus varied from 30% to 100%. This study performed for the first time in this manner, indicates the importance of apoptosis during infection with the RHD virus.