Effect of arginine-butyrate on interferon induction by adenovirus.

Treatment of human adenovirus type 12 infected chick cells with a low concentration of arginine-butyrate strongly inhibited interferon formation. At this concentration, as evaluated by the rate of protein synthesis the drug exerted no significant toxic effect on the cells. The early virus gene expression, not being affected in the butyrate-treated chick cells, it is autonomous and is not influenced by the effect of butyrate on chick cells. This is at variance with what has been observed in other semipermissive systems infected with adenovirus.