Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A L Notkins.
Antiviral antibody and interferon did not prevent in vitro reactivation of herpes simplex virus in latently infected sensory ganglia. Phosphonoacetic acid and 9-beta-d-arabinofuranosyladenine blocked reactivation, but this treatment did not eradicate the latent infection.
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Incubation of human leukocytes with certain viruses results in the enhancement of IgE-mediated release of histamine. This enhancement is produced by interferon. The present experiments show that an induction period of 6 to 9 hr and new RNA synthesis are required for interferon to enhance histamine release. This points to the possibility that interferon may exert its antiviral and histamine-release enhancing activities by acting through a common pathway.
Coxsackie virus B4 that had been passaged in cultures enriched for pancreatic beta cells produced a diabetes-like syndrome when inoculated into SJL/J mice. The infection resulted in insulitis and destruction of beta cells. Viral antigens were found in beta cells by staining with fluorescein-labeled antibody to Coxsackie virus B4. The destruction of beta cells led to a decrease in the immunoreactive insulin content of the pancreas and hypoinsulinemia. The reduction in immunoreactive insulin correlated inversely with the elevation of glucose in the blood and over 80% of the animals were found to be hyperglycemic within 14 days after infection. The percentage of animals with hyperglycemia decreased with time and at the end of 60 days, less than 5% of the animals were still hyperglycemic. However, many of the normoglycemic mice were found to be metabolically abnormal when evaluated by glucose tolerance tests. Studies on the susceptibility of the host showed that only certain inbred strains of mice became diabetic when infected with Coxsackie virus B4. It is concluded that both the passage history of the virus and the strain of the host influence the development of diabetes.
Reovirus type 3, passaged in pancreatic beta-cell cultures, produced an insulitis when inoculated into 1- to 2-week-old mice. By means of a double-label antibody technique, in which we used fluorescein-labeled antibody to reovirus and rhodamine-labeled antibody to insulin, reovirus antigens were found in beta cells. By electron microscopy, viral particles in different stages of morphogenesis were observed in insulin-containing beta cells but not glucagon-containing alpha cells. The infection resulted in destruction of beta cells, reduction in the insulin content of the pancreas, and alteration in the host's capacity to respond normally to a glucose tolerance test.
Immunization of BALB/c mice with virulent and avirulent strains of HSV-1 resulted in high levels of neutralizing antibody and protected against both the lethal effect of the virus and the development of a latent ganglionic infection when animals were challenged by the intravaginal route. In animals immunized with avirulent strain of HSV-2 and challenged with a high virulent strain of HSV-2, substantial protection against death was observed despite low levels of neutralizing antibody. Nineteen per cent of the survivors, however, developed a latent ganglionic infection. Relatively little protection was observed in mice immunized with HSV-1 and challenged with HSV-2.
Antibody of the immunoglobulin G class to herpes simplex virus and antibody of the immunoglobulin M class to sheep red blood cells were coupled to the synthetic peptide formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), which is chemotactic for both mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The resulting molecules were chemotactic and retained their antigen-binding activity. When antibodies coupled to fMet-Leu-Phe were incubated with antigen, the resulting immune complexes were also chemotactic. Chemotactic antibody may provide a potent means of enhancing the migration of inflammatory cells to specific sites.
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The endocrine cell populations of pancreatic islets in encephalomyocarditis (EMC)-virus infected mice were assessed quanititatively by immunofluorescence using specific antisera against 4 islet hormones. A marked reduction of the volume of insulin-containing (B-) cells (up to one tenth of control values) was observed at all stages studied in the hyperglycaemic mice. This was accompanied by the inversion of the normal ratio between B- and non B-cells. The volume of the latter cell types was also modified at different time points after infection: glucagon-cells were augmented 14 days after infection; PP-cells were decreased 2--3 days and 21 days after infection; somatostatin-cells decreased to one-fourth of control values in hyperglycaemic animals 21 days after infection. The latter results suggest that non B-cells are also involved in islet reaction to virus infection.
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The capacity of Coxsackie B3 virus to infect insulin-containing beta cells was studied in human pancreatic cell cultures. Antibody to Coxsackie B3 virus was labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, and antibody to insulin was labeled with rhodamine. By use of a double-label antibody technique, three populations of cells were identified: uninfected insulin-containing beta cells, which stained only with rhodamine-labeled anti-insulin antibody; Coxsackie-infected (noninsulin-containing) cells, which stained only with fluorescein-labeled anti-Coxsackie antibody; and Coxsackie-infected insulin-containing beta cells, which stained with both antibodies. Radioimmunoassay showed that intracellular immunoreactive insulin decreased rapidly beginning at 24 hours after infection, and the decrease in insulin roughly paralleled the increase in viral titer. It is concluded that, under in vitro conditions, human beta cells are susceptible to Coxsackie B3 virus.
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Human leukocytes maintained in culture are induced to release histamine when exposed to ragweed antigen E or anti-IgE. Leukocyte cultures incubated with virus (i.e. HSV-1, Influenza A, and Adeno-1) but not exposed to ragweed antigen E or anti-IgE fail to release histamine. If, however, leukocyte cultures are first exposed to virus and then to ragweed antigen E or anti-IgE, significant enhancement of histamine release occurs. Both infectious and inactivated virus enhance histamine release and the degree of enhancement is related to the concentration of virus and the length of the incubation. Tissue culture fluid harvested 8 h after exposure of leukocytes to virus contains a soluble factor which is capable of enhancing histamine release when added to fresh leukocyte cultures. This factor has all the properties of interferon including species specificity and cannot be dissociated from the antiviral activity of interferon. Moreover, both known inducers of interferon (poly I:poly C) and standard preparations of interferon are capable of enhancing histamine release. The enhancement of histamine release by interferon represents a new biological role for interferon.
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Inoculation of mice with herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) by the vaginal route resulted in viral shedding during the acute phase of the infection and the development of a latent infection in vaginouterine tissue lasting up to one year in greater than 25% of the animals. Immunization with either serotype of HSV markedly reduced viral shedding when animals were subsequently challenged with the homologous serotype, but immunization with HSV-2 was significantly less effective in preventing the development of a latent infection in the vaginouterine tissue after challenge than was immunization with HSV-1.