The role of interferons in the resistance to murine cytomegalovirus
Martinotti, M.G.; Gariglio, M.; Cofano, F.; Cavallo, G.; Landolfo, S.
Microbiologica 13(4): 305-309
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0391-5352 PMID: 1708083 Document Number: 351114
The protective effect of IFN .alpha./.beta. or IFN-.gamma. against MCMV infection in mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) of genetically resistant and susceptible strains have been examined. For this purpose, MEF derived from Balb/c, C3H, DBA2, C57BL6 mouse strains were used. Cells were pretreated for 24 hrs with either IFN .alpha./.beta. or IFN-.gamma. and subsequently infected with MCMV at different M.O.I. No difference in susceptibility to MCMV was observed between untreated Balb/c, C57 and DBA2-MEF when infected at a M.O.I. of 5 whereas at a M.O.I. of 1 or 0.5 untreated DBA2-MEF displayed the highest susceptibility to viral infection. Pretreatment of MEF with IFN .alpha./.beta. showed that the degree of protection to MCMV was dependent on the M.O.I. used. At a M.O.I. of 5, IFN .alpha./.beta. did not inhibit viral replication in any MEF tested, whereas at a M.O.I. of 1 or 0.5 was protective in C3H-MEF and to a lesser extent in Balb/c-MEF. No protection was observed in DBA2 and C57-MEF. Different results were observed when MEF were pretreated with IFN-.gamma. C57-MEF were protected when infected at a M.O.I. of 5 or 1; no protection was observed at a M.O.I. of 0.5. Balb/c-MEF were protected only at a M.O.I. of 1. No protection was observed in C3H and DBA2-MEF.