Establishement of a rabbit lung cell line (RL-33) and its viral susceptibility.

A new cell line (RL-33) was established from a rabbit lung tissue. The cells maintained a fibroblastic appearance and a contract-inhibited growth through 180 passages. No latent infectious agent has so far been demonstrated. The cells supported the growth of a variety of viruses, enabling plaque assays for Shope fibroma, rabbit myxoma and types 1 and 2 herpes simplex viruses. They were as sensitive to rabbit interferon as RK-13 (a line from rabbit kidney) cells.