Effect of Stimulators of Endogenous Interferon on Experimental Virus Infections

Abstract

In 1963, Baron and Buckler [209] found that the intravenous injection of various viruses into mice leads to the formation of interferon which can be found in the animals’ serum. The interferon appeared in the serum within 1 h and reached its highest concentration 4 h after infection. In order of diminishing interferon-inducing activity the viruses tested were arranged as follows: Newcastle disease, Sindbis, Sendai, and vaccinia viruses. These workers showed that interferon formation is induced by the virus in the material injected and is not due to its reproduction. The concentration of the inducing virus was of essential importance to the detection of the serum interferon. Interferon could be induced by a single intravenous dose containing not less than 10⁶ p.f.u. of infective virus.