title: Improving permissive infection of human cytomegalovirus in cell culture.
abstract: Changes in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) titre occurring under different conditions were studied using plaque assay. No significant change in titre was found using primary embryonic fibroblasts or primary foreskin fibroblasts, or with the addition of dexamethasone to the medium. Significant increases in titre were found when standard cultures were pre-incubated in medium containing DEAE-dextran and/or calcium chloride. However, DEAE-dextran and/or calcium chloride had no significant effect on HCMV detection using the shell vial assay, possibly because enhancement affects permissive infection, but not surface expression of viral antigens. DEAE-dextran and calcium chloride can be included in the medium of standard cultures as a means of obtaining higher titres of HCMV, and are particularly useful for isolates that are difficult to culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, SEALS, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ratnamohan
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Rawlinson
mesh_terms: D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003637:DEAE-Dextran / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003637:DEAE-Dextran; D002122:Calcium Chloride