DETERMINATION OF THE RABIES VIRUS-INFECTED VERO LINE CELL PORTION BY FLOW CYTOMETRY

Abstract

Aim. Experimental substantiation of possibility to determine the rabies virus-infected Vero cell line portion in culture by flow cytometry (FC) and FITC labeled diagnostic anti-rabies immunoglobulin (DAI), manufactured in Russia. Materials and methods. Fixation and permeabilization of Vero cells, infected by rabies virus strain «Moscow 3253», was carried out by means of Суtofix/Cytoperm reagent (BD Biosciences, USA) according the Vengatesan D. et al. method (2006) and then intracellular rabies antigen was stained by DAI. Percentage of infected cells was determined by FC in 24, 48 and 72 h and as well in 48 h when the cell cultures were infected with tenfold dilutions of virus-containing fluid from 10-1 to 10-8. Results. There was a significant increase in the percentage of infected cells on average from 30 to 70% in time interval from 24 to 48 h. With 1000-fold dilution of viral-containing fluid the FC method detected the 6,9±0,21% of infected cells in Vero cultures (P0,001, n=3). Conclusion. FC has proved to be a fast, sensitive and reliable method for determining the relative number of virus- infected Vero cells in cultures. The drug DAI had a sufficient activity for its effective use in the automated version of MFA based on the FC method. The use of FC is possible at various stages of anti-rabies drug production and control, and is also promising in terms of further improving of the rabies diagnosis.