RT-qPCR Analysis of Inflammatory & Apoptotic Factors-Related Gene Expression in ZIKV-Infected IFNAR1^−/− Mice

ZIKV was a mosquito-borne neglected tropical pathogen until it spread into the Pacific and South America, followed by large human outbreaks related to congenital abnormalities in neonates and neurological disorders in adults. The following study used the C57BL/6 IFNAR1 receptor knockout (IFN AR1^−/−) mouse model to understand the role of selected cytokines and apoptotic factors in the pathogenicity of ZIKV strain PRVABC59. Mice infected with 10² particles of Zika viruses died until 9 days post infection. The brain, spleen, and lung were collected from intramuscularly infected mice on day 6 post infection (pi) to quantify the mRNA expression of targeted cytokines and apoptosis-mediated factors by RT-qPCR. Upregulation of IL-6, IL-17α, IFN-α, and IFN-β were found in the brain and lung of infected mice. IFN-γ was also significantly upregulated in the infected brain and spleen. The collective findings from our study indicate that a strong immune response was developed against ZIKV PRVABC59 in the infected mice brain.