Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Clinical Pathology

Viruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family cause clinically significant diseases in humans and animals. This family includes three genera: Pestivirus [including bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)], Flavivirus [including yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus, and West Nile virus (WNV)], and Hepacivirus [including hepatitis C virus (HCV)]. BVDV is responsible for major losses in cattle, causing a range of clinical manifestations. BVDV is considered to be a valuable surrogate virus model for identifying and characterizing antiviral agents to be used against HCV. In some aspects of viral replication, BVDV is more advantageous than the currently used HCV replicon systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in- vitro and in-vivo cytotoxic effect and antiviral properties of Thiol-peglated gold nanoparticles. Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of prepared gold nanoparticles did not show toxic effects to maden derby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells with concentration of 2 and 4 ppm. Afterward the antiviral activity of nanoparticles was evaluated by the inhibition of the cytopathic effect on infected MDBK cells by means of (MTT) based colorimetric assay and was found that 4 PPM is the optimum conc. for virus inhibition. Then proving of rabbits as laboratory host for BVDV via pathogenicity test, Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry was necessary for in-vivo experiment

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