Increased liver pathology in wild-type female compared to male mice infected with MCMV for 3 days.

Wild-type male and female mice were left untreated (control) or infected with MCMV for 3 days and the following distinct measures of liver pathology were evaluated: necrotic foci, microscopic inflammatory foci and karyomegaly as revealed with H&E staining; and lipidosis as revealed by Oil red O staining. The grading system was as follows: for necrosis 140% of hepatocellular lobule affected; for inflammation 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = marked numbers of inflammatory cells; and lipidosis 1 = few lipid vacuoles of small size, 2 = moderate numbers of lipid vacuoles of small to medium size and 3 = numerous clear vacuoles ranging from small to very large size in hepatocytes.