Recombinant interferons alpha and gamma: comparative antiviral activity and synergistic interaction in encephalomyocarditis virus infection of mice.

The antiviral properties of 2 recombinant DNA-produced interferons, a human hybrid interferon alpha that is active in mice and a murine interferon gamma, were examined in the treatment of mice infected with encephalomyocarditis virus. A single dose of interferon alpha induced a protective state in mice more rapidly than did interferon gamma, but the activity of the latter was more long lasting. When interferon and virus were administered 6 h apart, either intraperitoneally or intravenously, interferons alpha and gamma were equally effective. However, this was not the case when the routes of treatment and infection were different. Interferon alpha showed somewhat reduced activity when the route of administration (intravenous) was different from the route of virus challenge (intraperitoneal) while interferon gamma showed very little activity when tested in this manner. When interferons alpha and gamma were administered in combination to mice, a marked synergistic antiviral effect was observed.