Heterospecific activity of rat interferon.

In the experiments performed in vitro and in vivo it has been found that the rat and rat embryo fibroblasts cultured in vitro after the induction with virus produce interferon which displays the antiviral activity not only in the homologous cells but also in the heterologous ones. When analysed by chromatography on Sephadex G-100 it was shown that the rat serum contains two interferon populations differing in the molecular weight and both active in the homologous and heterologous cells. The interferon with the heterospecific activity has been used in the experimental therapy of mice infected with Encephalomyocarditis Virus (EMC), Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) and Influenza Virus, and was found to be effective.