title: Effect of double-stranded viral RNA on mammalian cells in culture.
abstract: During bovine enterovirus infection of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, large amounts of double-stranded RNA accumulate. Addition of this double-stranded RNA to uninfected cells leads to rapid cell death. This is not a result of infectious virus production. Neither single-stranded RNA nor heat-denatured double-stranded RNA has this effect. Similar experiments with synthetic double-stranded polymers, poly(I).poly(C) and poly(A).poly(U), show that they are only slightly toxic at the concentrations used. The effect of the double-stranded RNA is nonspecific for cells of different origins. The implications of this finding in relation to the cytopathic effects of picornavirus and to cancer chemotherapy are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014316:Tritium; D014529:Uridine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014316:Tritium; D012313:RNA; D014529:Uridine