Effect of interferon on herpes simplex virus replication in murine macrophage-like cell lines.

The effect of interferon on the replication of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 was studied in two murine macrophage-like cell lines which differ in their ability to synthesize interferon. Higher titers of herpes simplex virus type 1 occurred in PU5-1.8 cell cultures where interferon was not produced than in J774A.1 cell cultures where low amounts of interferon were produced. Herpes simplex virus type 2 replicated poorly in both types of cell cultures. Interferon synthesis was induced in J774A.1 cell cultures but not in PU5-1.8 cell cultures. Exogenously added interferon was shown to inhibit virus replication, however the restrictiveness of these cells to HSV replication was not relieved by treating cell cultures with anti-interferon serum. These results show that factors other than induced interferon regulate the replication of herpes simplex viruses in these cells and suggest that induced interferon synthesis does not affect herpes simplex virus replication in macrophages.