Search for inhibitors against herpes simplex virus type-I in cell extracts derived from human lymphoblastoid cell lines

Abstract

Cell extracts obtained from KB cells and 5 human lymphoblastoid cell lines including 2 from Burkitt's lymphoma (P3HR-1 and Raji), one each from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (no.223), acute lymphatic leukemia (MOLT-4) and a healthy person (NC-37) were tested for their inhibitory effects on the growth of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) in green monkey kidney (GMK) cells by the plaque titration method. The relationship between the production of HSV-1 inhibitors and the degree of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome repression in lymphoblastoid cells were also examined. Among the cell lines used P3HR-1 and no.223 cells produced a few EBV particles, Raji and NC-37 cells contained EBV genomes only, and MOLT-4 as well as KB cells were EBV genome-negative. The results revealed that P3HR-1 cell extract showed a tendency to inhibit HSV-1 growth in GMK cells but the other 4 lymphoblastoid cell lines and KB cells did not produce HSV-1 inhibitors, indicating that EBV genomes governing the formation of EBV structural antigens were not related to the production of HSV-1 growth inhibitors. The extracts from MOLT-4 cells, which are only a T lymphocyte cell line used in this study, stimulated HSV-1 growth in GMK cells significantly.