Myocarditis in Experimental Coxsackie B-3 Infection

Myocarditis has been produced in both young and adult mice by the inoculation of Coxsackie B-3 virus. Newborn mice were not as susceptible to myocardial damage as 12-day-old mice and the susceptibility increased up to the age of 23 days; thereafter there was a decline but 6-month-old animals were moderately susceptible.Both the strain of animal used and the age at which it was inoculated appeared to be significant factors. Other factors such as route of inoculation, sex, virus concentration, or nature of the inoculating material did not greatly affect the outcome. The lesions produced were very similar to those described in human myocarditis of the newborn.The importance of these findings lies in the fact that myocarditis due to Coxsackie virus can be produced regularly in both young and adult mice without the aid of cortisone or other extrinsic factors.