Interferon production in leukocytes of spotted sousliks--effect of hibernation on the interferon response in vitro.

A comparative study of interferon (IFN) production (types alpha and gamma) was carried out using leukocytes from blood, spleen, and peritoneal cavity of sousliks (ground squirrels) active in summer, hibernating in winter, awakened from hibernation in winter, and hibernating in summer. Newcastle disease virus, Radom velogenic strain (NDV-R), and lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli (LPS) were used as inducers for IFN-alpha and phytohemagglutinin M (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) for IFN-gamma production. There were significant differences between the titers of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma produced by leukocytes from sousliks hibernating in winter and in summer in comparison with titers of IFNs produced by cells of sousliks active in summer. Cells of hibernating spotted sousliks exhibited diminished IFN production. The IFN production in blood and peritoneal leukocytes of sousliks awakened from winter hibernation was also lower than that observed in cultures of leukocytes of sousliks active in summer, and higher when spleen leukocytes of sousliks awakened from hibernation were examined.