The physiological interferon response. V. Antiviral activity present in rat lymph is neutralized by anti-mouse interferon-gamma antibodies.
By neutralization tests using anti-rat and mouse interferon (IFN) antibodies, we tested whether the antiviral activity present in abdominal lymph but absent in plasma of healthy rats, could be ascribed to IFN. Antimouse IFN-gamma antibodies neutralized the inhibitor completely while anti-rat IFN-alpha/beta antibodies did not. We conclude that rat lymph contains traces of IFN-gamma and that the antiviral activity is not due to low-density lipoproteins, immunoglobulins, or to cell-produced viral inhibitors. This finding extends previous observations on rabbit lymph and further supports the existence of a physiological low-level interferon response.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D002460:Cell Line; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis*; D007739:L Cells / Q000276:immunology; D008196:Lymph / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D007371:Interferon-gamma