Does the gender difference in interferon production seen in picornavirus-infected spleen cell cultures from ICR Swiss mice have any in vivo significance?
Splenocyte cultures from female ICR Swiss mice produced greater interferon (IFN) levels, particularly IFN-gamma, than did cultures from males by 12 h post-infection (pi) with the D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV-D). This early IFN-gamma is produced by natural killer (NK)-like cells and is dependent on plastic adherent cells and IFN-alpha/beta. In this study, we evaluated the significance of this observation on the innate resistance of ICR Swiss females to EMCV-D-mediated disease. Treatment of females with rabbit anti-mouse IFN-alpha/beta serum rendered them susceptible to the diabetogenicity of EMCV-D. Although sera from both sexes of ICR Swiss mice exhibited peak IFN levels day 3 pi, IFN-gamma was present in the sera of males at only 1 day pi and in the sera of females at days 1-3 pi. Females cleared virus from the circulation by day 2 pi, 1 day earlier than did males. Flow cytometric evaluations of lymphoid cell phenotypes in spleens and pancreata of infected mice revealed that percentages of L3T4+ cells were significantly decreased only in spleens from males at day 1 pi and were diminished along with Ly2+ cells in pancreata of males at 7 days pi, suggesting that T-cell responses were impaired in virus-infected males.
Curiel
R E
RE
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435.
Miller
M H
MH
Ishikawa
R
R
Thomas
D C
DC
Bigley
N J
NJ
D000818:Animals; D018188:Cardiovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004686:Encephalomyocarditis virus; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007106:Immune Sera; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010477:Perfusion; D010641:Phenotype; D012737:Sex Factors; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D007106:Immune Sera; D007372:Interferons