title: Evaluation of cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of recombinant human interferon alfa-2a and recombinant human interferon alfa-B/D hybrid against bovine viral diarrhea virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of recombinant human interferon alfa-2a and recombinant human interferon alfa-B/D hybrid against cytopathic and noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary bovine testicular cells and Mardin Darby bovine kidney cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate cytotoxicity, cells were added to serial dilutions of each interferon. To evaluate antiviral activity of each interferon, interferons were serially diluted 1:10, and tissue culture cells were added; virus was then added at 3 time points. Prevention of viral infection by interferon was defined as failure to induce cytopathologic effect for VSV, IBRV, and cytopathic BVDV and failure to detect virus immunohistochemically for cytopathic and noncytopathic BVDV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No evidence of cytotoxicity in either cell line was detected after incubation with interferon alfa-2a or interferon alfa-B/D. However, reduced growth rates of tissue culture cells were detected for each interferon when undiluted interferon was tested. Comparable and profound antiviral activities against cytopathic and noncytopathic BVDV were evident for each interferon. Interferon alfa-2a and interferon a-B/D had comparable antiviral activities against VSV. Neither interferon had antiviral activity against IBRV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The safety and marked in vitro antiviral activity against noncytopathic BVDV, cytopathic BVDV, and VSV suggest that interferons alfa-2a and alfa-B/D may be useful for treatment of natural disease after infection with these viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 USA.
authors.forename: Simon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bonds
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Gangemi
authors.forename: Chester B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D030241:Diarrhea Virus 1, Bovine Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007241:Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis / Q000276:immunology*; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins