Treatment of mice with polyinosinic-polycytidilic polyribonucleotide reduces T-cell involvement in a localized inflammatory response to vaccinia virus challenge

Abstract

Mice inoculated intracerebrally with 103 PFU of vaccinia virus developed a nonfatal meningitis which was maximal 7 days after challenge. Intravenous administration of an interferon (IFN) inducer, polyinosine-polycytidilic polyribonucleotide [poly(I)-poly(C)], on days 4 and 6 postinjection was associated with a three- to fourfold decrease in the number of T lymphocytes present in cerebrospinal fluid, reflected primarily by a decreased number of vaccinia virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursors. The lack of a concomitant reduction in the overal cytotoxic activity of cerebrospinal fluid cells directed against virus-infected target cells seemed to be largely due to an increase in natural..