Glucocorticoid resistance following herpes simplex-1 infection: role of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors.

Herpes simplex-1 (HSV-1) is a sporadic cause of viral encephalitis. We have previously demonstrated that corneal HSV inoculation markedly activates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This activation depends on host derived brain interleukine-1 and was resistant to pretreatment with dexamethasone (dex), possibly because immune factors such as pro-inflammatory cytokines can modify the binding capacity of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus.