Inhibition of chemical Epstein-Barr virus induction by dimethyl sulfoxide and related polar compounds.

Dimethyl sulfoxide and twelve related polar compounds, capable of inducing differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells, markedly inhibited induction of Epstein-Barr virus antigens in virus producer and nonproducer lymphoblastoid cells exposed to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, n-butyric acid, 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine, and a combination of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and n-butyric acid. The concentration at which these compounds caused 90% inhibition of antigen induction corresponded to that optimal for induction of differentiation. At the same concentrations, polar compounds did not affect cell viability or virus induction by superinfection with Epstein-Barr virus recovered from P3HR-1 cells. The inhibitory activity was reversible. Three nonpolar differentiating compounds revealed no inhibitory activity.