Here ’s another reason why you really do n’t want to getherpes : New inquiry shows that the virus infects and kills the neurons of the colon , leading to an apocalyptic - sounding condition calledtoxic megacolon . Essentially , this means that the muscles of the digestive tract can no longer contract so as to squidge food along and out of the posterior port ( that ’s a fancy term for butthole ) .
Herpes simplex virus 1 ( HSV-1 ) is ordinarily contracted via the mucosal epithelial cells of the oral cavity or genitals , from where it infects the nerve cell of the peripheral sensory nervous system . Exactly how it spreads beyond this point so as to produce the manynasty symptomsassociated with the disease is still reasonably poorly understand .
One such symptom is constipation , with many herpes sufferer report difficulties in the bathroom . To investigate why this is the case , researchers vaginally infect mouse with HSV-1 , noting that roughly one - third of their topic soon begin to show signs of toxic megacolon .
After analyzing the neurons in the mice’senteric nervous system(ENS ) , which regulate the GI organisation , the research worker discovered that the computer virus had indeed spread to these neurons in those shiner that had become constipated .
Reporting their findings in the journalCell Host and Microbe , the study authors explicate that this infection activated a number of genes that normally officiate to protect the soundbox from pathogens by recruiting a case of white parentage cellular phone calledneutrophilsto destroy the violate invader . However , in this grammatical case , it seems that the neutrophil actually destroy the neurons of the ENS , rather than the computer virus itself .
To substantiate this , they repeated the experiment using mice that had been genetically engineer to lack neutrophile , and find that these mouse did not develop toxic megacolon .
Exactly how the virus spreads from the genitals to the Costa Rican colon is not yet have it off , although the sketch authors propose that it may journey along sealed nervus cells that connect the genitourinary and enteral tissue paper .
lamentably for the mouse , the devastation of the neurons in their colons was permanent , making life reasonably uncomfortable for them . However , the researchers did at least find that deal them with a potent laxative helped to restore their question , enabling them to do their business without the need for a functioning ENS .
