Effect of sodium monofluoroacetate on the multiplication of influenza viruses, mumps virus and pneumonia virus of mice (PVM)

Abstract

Sodium fluoroacetate, given after virus inoculation in doses of 3 to 4 mg. per kg. in mice or 2 mg. in chick embryos, caused only a slight delay in the multiplication of the PR8 strain of influenza A virus in the mouse lung and of PR8 or the Lee strain of influenza B virus in the allantoic sac. The quantities of the compound used were sufficient to cause approximately 10 to 20 per cent mortality in mice and 100 per cent in chick embryos. The use of small virus inocula did not markedly increase the effect of sodium fluoroacetate on the multiplication of PR8 or Lee in the chick embryo and maximal titers were obtained in all cases. In contrast to the findings in the chick embryo, sodium fluoroacetate caused a definite delay in the multiplication of Lee virus in the mouse lung but did not affect the final virus titer. Sodium fluoroacetate in like amounts caused only a minimal delay in the multiplication of pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) in the mouse lung or of mumps virus in the chick embryo. With both PVM and mumps virus, maximal titers were obtained almost simultaneously in fluoroacetate and control animals. When three daily injections of the compound were given to mice infected previously with PVM, a definite diminution in the virus titer was demonstrable. However, pretreatment with three daily injections of the compound caused no alteration in the capacity of mice to support the multiplication of PVM. From the results of these experiments, it appears that the cellular metabolic processes blocked by sodium fluoroacetate are not essential for the multiplication of influenza viruses, mumps virus, or pneumonia virus of mice (PVM).