Infection of macrophages with Friend virus: relationship to the spontaneous regression of viral erythroleukemia

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is Essential for Macrophage-mediated Erythroblast Proliferation in Acute Friend Retrovirus Infection

Macrophages are the frontline of defence against foreign microorganisms, including bacteria, parasites, and viruses. During acute viral infection, macrophages must invade the inflamed tissue toward low oxygen concentrations, where genetic cellular responses depend on hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF). In the study reported here we investigated the role of HIF-1α in macrophage function during acute retroviral infection. Wild-type and myeloid cell-specific HIF-1α knockout mice were infected with Friend retrovirus (FV), and immune response was analysed 7 and 10 days after infection. FV infection led to increased spleen weight in wild-type and knockout mice, whereas a profound proliferation of erythroblasts was seen only in wild-type mice. The number of spleen-infiltrating macrophages was also significantly lower in knockout animals. Macrophage invasion after FV infection in wild-type mice led to elevated amounts of activated macrophage-stimulating 1 protein that resulted in massive proliferation of erythrocyte precursor cells. This proliferation was absent from knockout mice because of impaired invasion capabilities of HIF-1α-deficient macrophages. Our study elucidated a novel mechanism of FV-induced erythrocyte precursor cell proliferation.

Dose of Retroviral Infection Determines Induction of Antiviral NK Cell Responses

Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the innate immune system and recognize virus-infected cells as well as tumor cells. Conflicting data about the beneficial or even detrimental role of NK cells in different infectious diseases have been described previously. While the type of pathogen strongly influences NK cell functionality, less is known about how the infection dose influences the quality of a NK cell response against retroviruses. In this study, we used the well-established Friend retrovirus (FV) mouse model to investigate the impact of virus dose on the induction of antiviral NK cell functions. High-dose virus inoculation increased initial virus replication compared to that with medium- or low-dose viral challenge and significantly improved NK cell activation. Antiviral NK cell activity, including in vivo cytotoxicity toward infected target cells, was also enhanced by high-dose virus infection. NK cell activation following high-dose viral challenge was likely mediated by activated dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages and the NK cell-stimulating cytokines interleukin 15 (IL-15) and IL-18. Neutralization of these cytokines decreased NK cell functions and increased viral loads, whereas IL-15 and IL-18 therapy improved NK cell activity. Here we demonstrate that virus dose positively correlates with antiviral NK cell activity and function, which are at least partly driven by IL-15 and IL-18. Our results suggest that NK cell activity may be therapeutically enhanced by administering IL-15 and IL-18 in virus infections that inadequately activate NK cells.

IMPORTANCE In infections with retroviruses, like HIV and FV infection of mice, NK cells clearly mediate antiviral activities, but they are usually not sufficient to prevent severe pathology. Here we show that the initial infection dose impacts the induction of an antiviral NK cell response during an acute retroviral infection, which had not investigated before. High-dose infection resulted in a strong NK cell functionality, whereas no antiviral activities were detected after low- or medium-dose infection. Interestingly, DCs and macrophages were highly activated after high-dose FV challenge, which corresponded with increased levels of NK cell-stimulating cytokines IL-15 and IL-18. IL-15 and IL-18 neutralization decreased NK cell functions, whereas IL-15 and IL-18 therapy improved NK cell activity. Here we show the importance of cytokines for NK cell activation in retroviral infections; our findings suggest that immunotherapy combining the well-tolerated cytokines IL-15 and IL-18 might be an interesting approach for antiretroviral treatment.

RNA interference mediated silencing of Hsp60 gene in human monocytic myeloma cell line U937 revealed decreased dengue virus multiplication

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) or stress proteins are highly conserved molecules and expressed in all cell types under stressful conditions like heat, cold, hypoxia and infections. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of dengue virus infection on relative expression of stress proteins and their role in the progression of the infection. As macrophages are the primary host for dengue, human promonocytic myeloblastoma U937 cells were infected with dengue virus type 2 New Guinea C strain for the evaluation of Hsps expression. A significant expression of Hsp60 was observed in virally infected U937 cells as compared to controls. In order to determine the correlation between Hsp60 expression and viral multiplication in infected cells, expression of Hsp60 was down regulated by RNA interference. Viral multiplication was determined by quantification of viral RNA copy number using Real Time PCR and plaque formation assay in cellular supernatants of Hsp60 silenced cells. Intracellular quantification of viral load was also determined by flow cytometry. It was observed that down regulation of Hsp60 in virally infected cells resulted into decrease in viral RNA copy number, plaque forming units and intracellular viral load. At the same time down regulation also resulted in increased IFN-alpha level. These observations suggest that, elevated levels of Hsp60 expression in virally infected cells may help in viral multiplication and could be possible therapeutic targets for the management of dengue virus infection.

The relative density of CD44-positive porcine monocytic cell populations varies between isolations and upon culture and influences susceptibility to infection by African swine fever virus

African swine fever (ASF) virus has been reported to infect cells of the monocyte family, probably macrophage-like cells, but there is variation in the apparent susceptibility of these cells. We have demonstrated that the phenotype and activity of porcine monocytic cells varies between different isolations and also upon culture. The variation during culture is dependent upon the phenotype of the cells at the time of isolation. As for the susceptibility of porcine monocytes/macrophages to infection by ASF virus, it was seen that this could be related to the variation in cell phenotype and activity. The susceptibility was determined by the relative density of particular subpopulations of cells present. Whilst inflammatory macrophages did not have an apparent role to play, phagocytic activity was influential. Furthermore, the expression of CD44 and the DH59 myeloid cell marker was important, whereas the relevance of MHC Class II expression was variable. Overall, it was concluded that susceptibility to infection required that a culture be dominated by CD44-positive cells which were non-inflammatory, of low phagocytic activity, and characterizable as being of the myeloid (DH59-positive) lineage.

Animal models for anti-AIDS therapy

Primate and non-primate species have been used to study the pathobiology of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), respectively, and to develop new therapeutic regimes. Transgenic mice which express either the entire HIV-1 provirus or subgenomic fragments have been used to analyze viral gene products in vivo and may serve as models for the development of agents targeted to select viral functions. Chimeric mice which were created by transplanting human hematolymphoid cells into mice suffering from congenital severe combined immunodeficiency (scid/scid or so called SCID mice), can be infected with HIV-1 and allow one to study the entire HIV-1 replicative cycle. Type C murine leukemia virus models have been used to develop new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies but their use is restricted to the evaluation of select antiviral drug inhibition, targeted to retroviral genes common to both Lentivirinae and Oncovirinae. The role of various animal model systems in the development of anti-HIV-1 and anti-AIDS therapies is summarized.

Development of antiviral treatment strategies in murine models

Murine models with type C murine leukemia viruses have been used to develop major new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in vaccination, drug therapy of acute virus exposure and chronic viremia, combination therapy, prevention of maternal transmission, and therapy targeted to the central nervous system. Transgenic mice expressing either the whole human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus or subgenomic sequences allow the in vivo analysis of selected HIV-1 functions. The full replicative cycle of HIV-1 can be studied in human/mouse chimerae which were created by transplanting human hematolymphoid cells into SCID mice. The chimeric SCID mouse models have been used successfully to evaluate anti-HIV-1 drugs. The role of the various murine retrovirus systems in the development of anti-HIV-1 and anti-AIDS therapies is summarized.

Altered macrophage antigen-presenting cell function following Friend leukemia virus infection

To investigate the mechanism by which Friend leukemia virus (FV) causes immunosuppression, the ability of peritoneal macrophages to mediate antigen-specific T-cell activation following FV infection was examined. Decreased IL-2 production was observed when antigen-primed T cells were cultured with antigen-pulsed macrophages from mice infected with FV, compared to T cells cultured with macrophages from control mice. Macrophages from FV-infected mice demonstrated decreased phagocytic and pinocytic activity, suggesting that antigen uptake may be impaired in these cells. In addition, FV-infected mice had decreased numbers of MHC class II positive macrophages compared to uninfected controls, as measured by immunofluorescence. The alterations in antigen uptake and class II expression observed in macrophages from FV-infected mice may be the result of infection of these cells by FV, which was demonstrated by in situ hybridization using a FV-specific probe. The ability of FV to infect and modulate the functions of macrophages may account, at least in part, for the immunosuppression observed in FV-infected mice.

Effect of macrophage-specific colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) on swine monocyte/macrophage susceptibility to in vitro infection by African swine fever virus

Swine cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage (MM) proliferate and survive for several weeks in vitro in medium supplemented with the murine macrophage-specific hematopoietic growth factor, colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1). The extent to which MM, cultured in CSF-1, supported African swine fever virus (ASFV) growth in vitro was investigated. MM, cultured in medium with CSF-1, were sensitive to infection and viral-induced cytopathogenic damage by both natural field isolates of ASFV and fibroblast-adapted ASFV strains, as were primary MM (P-MM). Without CSF-1, blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNL), containing lymphocytes and MM, and P-MM could be reliably used in microculture for ASFV titration when inoculated at times limited to no more than 3 to 5 days after culture inception; inclusion of CSF-1 in the media stimulated continued MM survival and growth, and allowed for the use of MNL and P-MM for ASFV titration when inoculated as long as 2 to 3 weeks after microculture inception. MM that were propagated beyond 1 week in secondary culture in medium with CSF-1 (MM-CSF) were useful in microcultures for infective-ASFV titration, only when the cells were kept in medium with CSF-1 and inoculated no later than 3 days of culture inception. In vitro studies of ASFV infection in P-MM and in MM-CSF showed comparable kinetics in ASFV-induced hemadsorption (HAd), cytopathogenic effect (CPE), cytoplasmic viral antigens and nucleic acid material. Compared to P-MM in culture without CSF-1, relatively minor delays in CPE onset induced by some ASFV strains were noticed in MM-CSF and in P-MM that were placed in media with CSF-1. The effects of ASFV on DNA synthesis in the virus-susceptible MM, cultured with or without CSF-1, were also examined at different times of infection by measurement of 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation into total precipitable culture material. ASFV-infection of P-MM, placed in culture medium with CSF-1, caused a pronounced transient increase in total 3H-TdR incorporation at the early onset of CPE and HAd. When compared to uninfected P-MM that were stimulated by CSF-1 to synthesize DNA, infected P-MM failed to incorporate 3H-TdR after CPE was fully evident. For P-MM that were cultured without CSF-1 and for MM-CSF, that were kept in culture with CSF-1, transient increases in 3H-TdR incorporation at the onset of CPE and HAd by ASFV-infection were evident, but were much less pronounced.

Molecular biology of Friend viral erythroleukemia

Friend virus clearly provides an important model for understanding the molecular biology of cancer. Moreover, the most important aspects of the erythroleukemia can be caused by a single SFFV infection in the absence of any helper virus. The SFFV env gene encodes a membrane glycoprotein, gp55. This glycoprotein, when expressed on erythroblast surfaces, causes a constitutive mitogenesis. However, SFFV infections only rarely increase the cell's self-renewal capability or abrogate its commitment to differentiate. Therefore, the consequence of infection is initially a polyclonal erythroblastosis. This polyclonal proliferation usually leads to cell differentiation and to recovery unless helper virus is present to cause continuing infection of new erythroblasts. Extremely rare SFFV proviral integrations, however, result in abrogation of the cell's commitment to differentiate and in the concomitant acquisition of cell immortality. These immortalizing proviral integrations occur at only a small number of sites in the mouse genome. Therefore, the mitogenic and immortalizing stages of erythroleukemia are now known to be caused by discrete genetic events--the first involving the SFFV env gene and the second involving the rare proviral integration sites. In early investigations of Friend virus, the first stage always preceded the second stage by at least several weeks. Now it is known that this delay in onset of the second stage is caused solely by statistics. Every SFFV-infected erythroblast is mitogenically activated, yet only rarely does the SFFV proviral integration produce immortality. Both steps in leukemogenesis can be caused simultaneously in an erythroblast by a rare single SFFV proviral integration. There has been an explosion of interest in retroviral env gene-mediated pathogenesis. Such pathogenesis has been recently associated with most of the naturally transmitted retroviral diseases including AIDS. Such pathogenesis involves in different viruses immunosuppression, anemia, neuropathy, and leukemia (Mathes et al. 1978; Simon et al. 1984, 1987; Weiss et al. 1985; Lifson et al. 1986; Riedel et al. 1986; Sitbon et al. 1986; Sodroski et al. 1986; Mitani et al. 1987; Schmidt et al. 1987; Klase et al. 1988; Overbaugh et al. 1988a, b). The shuffling and dynamic env gene rearrangements that have been associated with murine retroviral leukemogenesis have also now been seen in FeLV-FAIDS and HIV (Fisher et al. 1988; Overbaugh et al. 1 t88b; Saag et al. 1988; Tersmette et al. 1988). Friend virus provides an important established example of such env gene pathogenesis. Although we still do not understand precisely how gp55 causes erythroblast mitosis, workers in this field have discovered important clues that may lead to answers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Retrovirus-induced feline pure red cell aplasia. Hematopoietic progenitors are infected with feline leukemia virus and erythroid burst-forming cells are uniquely sensitive to heterologous complement

Feline leukemia virus subgroup C/Sarma (FeLV-C) induces pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) in cats. Just before the onset of anemia, erythroid colony-forming cells (CFU-E) become undetectable in marrow culture, yet normal frequencies of erythroid burst-forming cells (BFU-E)- and granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (CFU-GM) persist. To determine if erythroid progenitors were uniquely infected with retrovirus, marrow mononuclear cells from cats viremic with FeLV-C were labeled with monoclonal antibodies to gp70 and then analyzed with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Both erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors were among cells sorting positively, suggesting that infection of BFU-E alone did not result in PRCA. The results were confirmed by complement (C') lysis studies using baby rabbit or guinea pig sera as sources of C'. These studies also suggested that BFU-E from cats with PRCA were unusually sensitive to C' alone, without the addition of antibody. In further studies, we demonstrated that C' activation was via the classical pathway and that C' sensitivity was unique to BFU-E and not a property of CFU-E, CFU-GM, or progenitors that were capable of giving rise to BFU-E in suspension culture. As BFU-E from cats viremic with FeLV-A/Glasgow-1 or the Rickard strain of feline leukemia virus were not sensitive to C', this finding may relate to the pathogenesis of feline PRCA. We hypothesize that, in cats viremic with FeLV-C, the abnormal C' sensitivity of BFU-E leads to the absence of CFU-E and anemia.

Natural killer cell suppression of Friend virus-induced preleukemic hemopoietic stem cells

To determine whether hemopoietic cells infected with Friend polycythemia-inducing spleen focus-forming virus (SFFVp) are conserved or suppressed via natural surveillance in leukemia-resistant adult mice, we engrafted C57BL/6 recipients with isologous transgenic (donor origin marker) or natural killer (NK) cell-deficient B6 beige marrow cells exposed to SFFVp in vitro. Both groups of primary recipients were viremic and nonleukemic. Spleen cells from primary SFFVp-infected chimeras were engrafted into irradiated leukemia-susceptible secondary recipients to reveal dormant leukemia and grew as tumors of donor origin in 8 of 38 (21%) and 33 of 47 (70%) instances, respectively. Treatment of marrow donors and recipients with anti-asialo GM1 serum resulted in the depression of NK cell activity and the rapid development of dormant leukemia. We conclude that NK cells are an effective surveillance mechanism able to suppress SFFVp-induced preleukemic stem cells.

Infection of haematopoietic stem cells in mice with Friend virus induced erythroleukaemia

Animals infected with conventional anaemia (FVA) or polycythemia-inducing (FVP) strains of the Friend virus develop lethal erythroleukaemia. A variant strain, RFV, induces an initially identical disease except that it spontaneously regresses in 50% of infected mice. To determine whether pluripotent stem cells as measured by spleen colony forming units (CFU-s) in leukaemic mice are productively infected with virus and whether their infection influences the outcome of the disease, we tested CFU-s from leukaemic mice for susceptibility to cytotoxicity by monospecific antiviral gp70 antiserum. Spleen CFU-s from progressively leukaemic (FVP, FVA and RFV) mice were productively infected with virus. CFU-s in RFV progressors became infected by 40 days post-virus inoculation. FVA and FVP progressors became infected between 15 and 21 days post virus. Infection of CFU-s was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of replicating (S phase) CFU-s in these populations. Spleen CFU-s from fully regressed RFV regressor mice were uninfected and remained so throughout the course of their disease. Bone marrow CFU-s in both regressors and progressors remained uninfected and were not induced to increased cell cycling.

Infection of DBA/2 or C3H/HeJ mice by intraperitoneal injection of vaccinia virus elicits activated macrophages, cytolytic and cytostatic for S91-melanoma tumor cells

Murine peritoneal macrophages harvested 3-4 days after IP injection of vaccinia virus lysed S91-melanoma tumor cells in vitro; enhanced tumoricidal activity was measured with effector macrophages prepared 5-6 days after vaccinia virus infection. Treatment of virus-elicited macrophages prepared from DBA/2 mice with anti-asialo-GM1 antiserum, anti-Thy 1.2 antiserum or anti-Iad antiserum in the presence of complement so that cells sensitized with antibodies were lysed, did not reduce the measured level of tumoricidal activity indicating that macrophages [Ia(-); asialo GM1(-)] and not natural killer cells [asialo GM1(+); Thy 1.2(+/-)] or T-cells [Thy 1.2(+)] were responsible for mediating the lysis of S91-melanoma tumor cells. When incubated with virus-elicited macrophages but not thioglycollate-elicited macrophages, the ability of S91-melanoma tumor cells. to synthesize DNA was completely blocked. The results of these experiments support the view that one aspect of antitumor immunity enhanced during immunotherapy with vaccinia virus is the activation of macrophages which have cytolytic as well as cytostatic effects on melanoma tumor cells.

The pathophysiology of murine retrovirus-induced leukemias

Murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) are retroviruses which induce a broad spectrum of hematopoietic malignancies. In contrast to the acutely transforming retroviruses, MuLVs do not contain transduced cellular genes, or oncogenes. Nonetheless, MuLVs can cause leukemias quickly (4 to 6 weeks) and efficiently (up to 100% incidence) in susceptible strains of mice. The molecular basis of MuLV-induced leukemia is not clear. However, the contribution of individual viral genes to leukemogenesis can be assayed by creating novel viruses in vitro using recombinant DNA techniques. These genetically engineered viruses are tested in vivo for their ability to cause leukemia. Leukemogenic MuLVs possess genetic sequences which are not found in nonleukemogenic viruses. These sequences control the histologic type, incidence, and latency of disease induced by individual MuL Vs.

Vaccinia virus proteins on the plasma membrane of infected cells. III. Infection of peritoneal macrophages

Primary macrophage cultures were prepared from the peritoneal exudate cell population harvested from mice challenged intraperitoneally with saline, thioglycollate, or vaccinia virus. Vaccinia virus was adsorbed and penetrated into primary macrophages and L-cells with similar kinetics. As evidenced by the expression of some "early" virus-specified proteins, partial uncoating and activation of the virion-associated DNA-dependent RNA polymerase occurred in the infected macrophages. Subsequently, the viral replication cycle in macrophages was aborted; with time after infection, viral DNA and virion proteins initially associated with infected cells could be detected in an acid-soluble form in the medium harvested from infected macrophage cultures. The results suggest that at the time that the final stages of virus uncoating should have occurred, intracellular subviral particles were, instead, degraded in the infected, primary macrophages. Viral DNA synthesis could not be measured in vaccinia virus-infected macrophages, no "late" virus functions were expressed, and progeny virions were not assembled. As measured by the binding of antiviral-antibody-125I-protein A complexes to the surface of vaccinia virus-infected cells, the expression of virus-specified antigens on the surfaces of infected macrophages was significantly reduced and never exceeded that measured at 2 hr after infection on the surfaces of infected L-cells. The expression of virus-specified polypeptides with mol mass of 48-50, 45-46, 36-37, and 25 kDa on the plasma membranes of vaccinia virus-infected, thioglycollate-elicited macrophages, rendered the infected macrophages susceptible to lysis by vaccinia virus-specific cytotoxic T-cells.

Virus-induced immunodeficiency: antibody responsiveness of MuLV-infected spleen cells following transfer into irradiated mice

Normal peritoneal macrophages can reverse, to a certain degree, the immunodeficiency caused by Friend leukemia viruses in mice. In vitro studies have shown, however, that spleen macrophages do not exert the same restorative effect. This in vivo study was designed to further analyze the restorative role of spleen macrophages in virus-induced immunodeficiency. Spleen cells from mice infected with the Friend-associated lymphatic leukemia virus (F-MuLV) were injected into lethally irradiated syngeneic hosts and immediately stimulated with antigen. Since the accessory functions of macrophages are highly resistant to ionizing radiations, the recipients were expected to provide the grafted cells with a supply of splenic accessory cells adequate to restore their immune functions. The primary antibody response of transferred cells was evaluated. Under these conditions, not only spleen macrophages but also peritoneal cells failed to restore the immune reactivity of infected cells, indicating that macrophages alone cannot overcome F-MuLV-induced immunodeficiency in irradiated hosts. Furthermore, irradiated and optimally reconstituted mice proved more susceptible than normal animals to the immunodepressive effect of the virus. These data suggest that additional mechanisms of immunosuppression may operate in irradiated mice and contribute to FLV-induced immunodeficiency. This model, however, may be a sensitive tool for investigating the subtle functional influences that certain viruses exert on the immune system.

Activation of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus expression during maturation of monocytes to macrophages

Lentiviruses, which cause arthritis-encephalitis and maedi-visna in goats and sheep, respectively, cause persistent infections in these animals. The viruses replicate productively at low levels in macrophages in diseased organs such as the "maedi lung" and nonproductively in other cell types such as leukocytes in peripheral blood. Nonproductive infections become productive during in vitro cultivation of the cells. This study showed that monocytes were the only cells in the peripheral blood leukocytes of an infected animal in which virus was detected and that virus activation occurred only when these cells matured into macrophages. Only a minute fraction of cultured monocytes matured into macrophages, and viral infectivity was associated exclusively with this fraction. Antiglobulin-coated glass wool fragments were lethal for monocyte macrophages because of toxic phagocytosis, but had no effect on B or T lymphocytes. The simultaneous addition of the glass fragments and leukocytes to culture dishes resulted in no macrophage maturation and no virus production. The addition of the fragments to virus-producing macrophages caused the death of the cells and a decline in virus production. Virus production in less avidly phagocytic cells was unaffected by the glass. Thus, although macrophages may be permissive for virus replication, one mechanism for restricted virus expression in vivo may be physiological factors controlling the maturation of these cells.

Abelson murine leukemia virus: effect of helper virus from regressing Friend virus on leukemia development

Replication defective Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) induces a non-thymic lymphoma in vivo and transforms both hematopoietic and fibroblastic cells in vitro. In vivo leukemogenicity and the efficiency of in vitro transformation of hematopoietic cells by A-MuLV are known to be affected by the replication competent helper virus present in A-MuLV stocks. The helper virus isolated from the regressing strain of Friend virus (RF-MuLV) is responsible for the spontaneous regression of erythroleukemia induced by replication defective spleen-focus forming virus and itself induces a lymphocytic leukemia which spontaneously regresses. The diseases produced by A-MuLV stocks containing either RF-MuLV or Moloney leukemia virus, the helper virus associated with the original isolate of A-MuLV, were compared to determine if RF-MuLV can influence the disease produced by a replication defective virus with a discrete transforming gene. Both virus stocks induced leukemias with similar efficiency and gross pathology. Spontaneous regression was not observed when RF-MuLV was used as the helper virus. Examination of the leukemic cells and cell lines derived from leukemic tissues indicated that the target cell for A-MuLV transformation was not affected by the helper virus. Both transformed lymphoid and monocytic cells were cultured from leukemic tissues and established as cell lines. The lymphoid cells were phenotypically similar to pre-B cells or null cells, while the monocytic cell lines resemble promonocytes. The frequency with which promonocytic cell lines were isolated from leukemic mice suggests that A-MuLV leukemogenesis may often involve transformation of monocytic series cells as well as lymphoid cells. Thus, RF-MuLV can serve as an efficient helper virus for A-MuLV and does not appear to alter the in vivo target cell for transformation. It is unable, however, to alter the progressive course of Abelson virus induced disease.

Immunotherapy of murine leukemia. VII. Prevention of Friend leukemia virus-induced immunosuppression by passive serum therapy

Previous studies have suggested that the passive therapy of Friend leukemia virus (FLV)-induced disease with chimpanzee anti-FLV serum operates by reducing the level of infectious virus in the treated animal below the immunosuppressive threshold, thereby allowing the host to mount anti-viral immune responses which are responsible for long-term protection. The present study was undertaken to examine directly the effect of passive serum therapy on the marked immunosuppression induced by FLV in progressively infected mice, as well as to determine whether virus-specific host cellular immune effector functions are augmented in serum-protected animals. Using a variety of assays of host immunocompetence, including natural killing (NK), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vivo and in vitro induction of allogeneic killers, and mitogen blastogenesis, a marked compartmentalization of FLV immunodepression was observed in progressively infected DBA/2 mice, possibly reflecting the distribution of FLV target cells in various host lymphoid populations. Thus, spleen-cell functions were suppressed most rapidly and to the greatest degree, followed by peritoneal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes, while lymph node cells and thymocytes maintained normal levels of activity. In contrast, serum-protected mice demonstrated no sign of FLV-induced immunosuppression regardless of the host effector-cell population or immune function examined. However, we were not able to identify host anti-viral cellular immune functions which are significantly enhanced in serum-protected animals; thus the specific role of the host immune system in the passive serum therapy of FLV-induced disease remains undefined at the present time.

Spontaneous regression of Friend virus-induced erythroleukemia IX. Role of complement in leukemia regression

The role of complement was examined in the immunologically-mediated spontaneous regression of erythroleukemia induced by the RFV strain of the Friend virus complex. Hemolytic complement levels were not significantly altered during the leukemic, regressed and recurrent phases of the disease. No correlation was observed between leukemia regression and complement levels in normal, C5-deficient and hybrid mice. No correlation was observed between serum complement activity and leukemia recurrence or mortality due to leukemia. The data suggest that hemolytic complement, and thus those immune effector functions specifically dependent on full complement activity, are not involved in leukemia regression and do not influence the course of the disease.

Spontaneous regression of Friend-virus-induced erythroleukemia. VII. The genetic control of regression

The genetic control of spontaneous regression of erythroleukemia was studied in parental and hybrid mice in which leukemia was induced by the regressing strain of Friend virus (RFV). Because in previous studies parental regressor mouse strains tested (N/PLCR, SIM, NIH Swiss) all had the FV-1n/n genotype and the progressor mouse strains (SIM.R, BALB/c) had the Fv-1b/b genotype, we detemined the influence of Fv-1 alleles on regression. Genes which influence regression were dominant and had partial penetrance in (progressor x regressor) F1 mice. Regression occurred in hybrid mice which inherited the Fv-1b/b genes of each of the progressor mouse strains. Regression and Fv-1 alleles also segregated independently in (N/PLCR x BALB/c) F2 mice, in random-bred Swiss mice heterozygous for the Fv-1 gene, in partially inbred Swiss recombinant progressor and regressor mouse lines, and in hybrid mice carrying the Fv-1b/b gene of SIM.R mice. Regressor SIM and progressor SIM.R mice, which were bred to be congeneic at the Fv-1 locus, also differ with respect to recovery from viremia, suggesting that their Rfv-3 genes differ and influence regression. Crosses of SIM and SIM.R mice with the A.BY (Rfv-3s/s) mouse strain confirmed that SIM and SIM.R carry Rfv-3r/r and Rfv-3s/s, respectively. We conclude that Fv-1b/b is not inhibitory to regression nor is the Fv-1 gene a genetic deteminant in the process. The data suggest that regression is influenced by several genes, including those (Rfv-1, Rfv-2, Rfv-3) shown to affect recovery from leukemia in other systems.

Fv-2r-mediated resistance of mouse bone-marrow cells to Friend spleen focus-forming virus infecton

A target cell assay based on the formation of infectious centers (IC) was used to characterize the Fv-2resistance gene of mice. Dose-response curves were obtained for the number of IC generated from incubated mixtures of bone-marrow cells and Friend virus (FV). The hemopoietic stimulus of bleeding increased the frequency of potential "target" cells capable of forming IC in DBA/2 but not in D2.Fv-2r mice; however, even without the bleeding stimulus D2.Fv-2r mice contained fewer target cells in their bone marrow than DBA/2 mice. During the first 48 h postinfection a massive dose of FV overcame the inhibitory effect of the FV-2r gene as measured by the release of FV from the spleen. However, the concentration of IC recoverable from the spleens of these infected mice was still much lower in the D2.Fv-2r strain. When irradiated F1 hybrid hosts were used as recipients for the proliferation of infected donor cells, splenic IC were not generated as efficiently from infected bone-marrow cells of D2.Fv-2r origin as from those of DBA/2 origin. However, the amounts of SFFV recoverable were approximately the same. Similarly, after in vitro infection there was no great difference between the amounts of SFFV released from bone-marrow cells of DBA/2 and D2.Fv-2r mice. We conclude that the primary effect of the Fv-2r gene may be to inhibit the formation and proliferation of IC in vivo, and that SFFV replication could be inhibited secondarily.

Factors affecting responses to murine oncogenic viral infections

Silica specifically kills macrophages in vitro, and in vivo has been used as a method of determining the possible immunological or other roles of macrophages in a number of viral infections. In experiments reported here, injection of 30 or 50 mg silica i.p. increased the severity of the oncogenic effects of the murine sarcoma virus (MSV) and Friend virus (FV) in BALB/c mice. Unlike Herpes simplex and Coxsackie B-3 infections, however, passive transfer of adult macrophages to suckling mice did not protect the latter against MSV. In mice injected with silica, histological evidence of the compensatory proliferation of macrophages suggests that precursors of these cells may act as target cells for the virus and that this may override any immunosuppressive response effected by the silica. In addition, there was a considerable enhancing effect on the erythroproliferative response to both MSV and FV by injection of saline 5 h before the virus, and indeed to FV after only a simple abdominal needle puncture. We attributed this to the lymphopenic immunodepressive effects of stress, and our data may explain previously published findings of augmented oncogenic responses in mice after "normal" serum injections. Newborn BALB/c (FV-1b) mice were susceptible to N-tropic FV, but developed resistance by 29 days of age. Antithymocyte serum (ATS) but not silica injections or adult thymectomy ablated this resistance. C57BL (FV-2r) mice were completely resistant to FV; however, those receiving FV and ATS developed late-onset leukaemia histologically characteristic of that produced by the helper component of the FV complex.