A major role of macrophage activation by interferon-gamma during mouse hepatitis virus type 3 infection. I. Genetically dependent resistance.

Resistance of mice to mouse hepatitis virus type 3 (MHV3) infection is genetically determined. Normal adult A/J mice are resistant, and BALB/c mice are susceptible. Higher titers of virus and interferon (IFN) in vivo were found in MHV3-infected BALB/c mice compared with A/J mice. In vitro activation of macrophages (M phi) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) delayed MHV3 replication only in cells that originated from A/J mice, although cell populations from both A/J and BALB/c mice were able to synthesize comparable amounts of IFN-alpha/beta. Using specific antibodies, we have shown that the delayed MHV3 replication in LPS-activated A/J M phi was due, in part, to IFN-alpha/beta. A/J M phi were found to be more sensitive to IFN-gamma than to IFN-alpha/beta, and BALB/c M phi did not develop an antiviral state to either IFN. Cultured spleen cells from A/J mice synthesized more IFN-gamma than BALB/c spleen cells after specific or non-specific stimulation. The results indicate that IFN-activated M phi may play a crucial role in the resistance to MHV3 infection. Since IFN-gamma is produced in large amounts by A/J spleen cells after specific stimulation with MHV3 and is efficient in activating the A/J M phi, a T cell-dependent mechanism is likely to be involved.