Production of interferon by murine peritoneal leukocytes: enhancement by mineral oil.

Abstract

The reticuloendothelial (RE) system may be an important site of interferon production during viral infection [1-5]. In previous experiments [6], the production of interferon by heterogeneous, peritoneal RE leukocytes from mice was studied, but the role of each specific morphologic cell type was not elucidated. In order to obtain relatively pure populations of cells, glycogen or mineral oil was injected intraperitoneally as described by others [7-9], but in the present study, such injections did not result in an exudative response involving predominantly one type of cell. During the course of these studies, murine peritoneal leukocytes that had been produced in response to stimulus by mineral oil manifested an enhanced interferon response. Recently, De Clercq and coworkers have also demonstrated a potentiating effect on inducers of interferon by injecting mice intraperitoneally with mineral oil [10]. The present study deals with the effect of mineral oil on the production of interferon by murine peritoneal leukocytes infected with an RNA or DNA virus.