Ineffectiveness of Antibody on the Intracellular Development of Influenza Virus WS Strain in Ehrlich Ascites Cells in Mice

Summary The effect of antiviral antibody on replication of the WS strain of influenza A virus in Ehrlich ascites cells was examined by inoculating mice immunized against the virus with cells infected with the virus. Multiplication of this virus in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was examined in detail by fluorescent antibody staining of the virus antigens, titration of egg infectivity of the cell-associated virus, and counting of cells to measure the oncolytic effect of the virus. By immunofluorescence, intracellular development of the virus was demonstrated both in nucleus and cytoplasm and was found to proceed in a uniform manner in all cells of a suspension. Results of experiments on the effect of antibody on virus growth were as follows: a) When virus infection was established in vitro, the oncolytic effect of the virus was not prevented when the cells were implanted in immune mice; b) immunofluorescent staining revealed that the development of virus antigens in cells inoculated into immune mice proceeded as in nonimmune mice; c) growth curves of the cell-associated virus were identical in immune mice and nonimmune mice; d) when suspensions of cells grown in immune mice were washed free of antibody, virus multiplication was equal to that of cells from nonimmune mice. The results obtained indicate that there is no inhibitory effect of antiviral antibody on the intracellular processes producing multiplication of WS virus.