The encephalomyocarditis virus of the diabetogenic M-strain (EMC-M)
is known
to cause diabetes in mice.
The EMC-M virus has also been shown to cause paresis in some of the infected
animals. The clinical features
include an acute ascending predominantly motor paralysis, developing within
days. This resembles acute
idiopathic polyneuritis. The alpha motor neurons would be a possible target
for
the virus, so two
parameters, the total number and the size distribution of motor neurons,
were
therefore selected for further
investigation in 6 mice with neurological involvement and compared with
6
control mice. The optical
fractionator method was applied for estimating the total number of motor
neurons
and the 3D size
distribution was estimated using the rotator method in a vertical design.
No
difference was found in the
total number of motor neurons and the size distributions were similar in
the
2 groups. This design can be
used as a model for the estimation of the total number of motor neurons
and
their size distribution in other experimental animal models.