Role of interferon in the pathogenesis of virus diseases in mice as demonstrated by the use of anti-interferon serum. II. Studies with herpes simplex, Moloney sarcoma, vesicular stomatitis, Newcastle disease, and influenza viruses.

The effect of potent sheep anti-mouse interferon globulin was investigated in several different experimental virus diseases of mice. In anti-interferon globulin-treated mice infected intraperitoneally with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type I, the latent period was shortened, and the overall LD50 was increased several hundredfold compared to virus-infected control mice. When HSV was inoculated subcutaneously all anti-interferon globulin-treated mice died, whereas only 5% of virus-infected control mice died. Subsequent treatment with anti-interferon globulin of previously HSV-infected mice did not result in reactivation of HSV. Treatment of adult mice with anti-interferon globulin resulted in an earlier appearance of MSV-induced tumors, a greater number of mice bearing tumors, an increase in tumor size, and an increase in the duration of tumors. All tumors eventually regressed despite reinjection of anti-interferon globulin. Anti-interferon globulin treatment resulted in a rapid onset of disease and death in adult mice inoculated (intranasal) with VSV and in newborn mice infected with NDV. Anti-interferon globulin exerted no effect on the course of influenza virus infection of mice. We conclude that the early production of interferon is an importane element in the response of the mouse to several viruses exhibiting different pathogeneses.