Pneumoviruses can impair the central nervous system by different mechanisms

Abstract Pneumoviruses such as the respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) are leading cause of acute lower tract infection, mainly in infants, elderly immunocompromised individuals, causing high morbidity mortality rates. However, these viruses can neurological alterations, encephalitis encephalopathy. Viral RNA pro-inflammatory molecules have been found patients with signs, supporting notion neuroinvasion and/or neuroinflammation caused by hRSV hMPV. Therefore, this work seeks to evaluate effects on brain. Accordingly, mice were infected either or hMPV treated non-infectious controls (mock). Despite detecting viral load lungs hMPV-infected mice, no was detected their brains, it shown for hRSV. cytokines IL-6 IFN-g increased only sera mice. Also, we observed differential patterns increase brain including IL-6, TNF-a, IL-4. Moreover, blood-brain barrier permeability both viruses. Additionally, after several weeks post-infection, a Marble Burying (MB) test performed, an impaired cognitive performance All results suggest that infection pneumoviruses long-term behavioral impairment Our provides new insight into effect central nervous system underscores need further understand how damage function humans. This supported ANID/FONDECYT grants #11221280; #1190830, ANID scholarship # 21210662, Millennium Institute Immunology Immunotherapy ACE 210015, ICN09_016 / ICN 2021_045; former P09/016-F.