HVJ infection in alveolar macrophages of various laboratory animals

Alveolar macrophages (AM) in bronchoalveolar lavage derived 6 species of laboratory animals (mouse, rat, Syrian hamster, Mongolian gerbil, guinea pig, and rabbit) were cultivated in vitro and were infected with HVJ, parainfluenza virus type 1, for the purpose of studying virus reproduction in these cells. Using infectivity assay, fluorescent antibodies and hemadsorption techniques, three categories were proposed depending on the potential of virus replication and antigen production. Category 1 (mouse, Syrian hamster, and guinea pig AM) was the most susceptible group to HVJ infection. All AM became antigen positive, and more than 10(6) PFU/ml of virus infectivity in the culture fluids was noted at 4 days after the virus infection. Rat and Mongolian gerbil AM were grouped into Category 2. Their AM showed a moderate virus yield (average 10(5) PFU/ml of infectivity) and antigen production. On the other hand, Category 3 (rabbit AM), exhibited no production of an infectious virus. It was likely that the virus penetrated into the AM but did not replicate complete virus. However, antigen positive cells ranging from 10 to 50% depended on the multiplicity of the infection to the AM. These findings suggest that HVJ infection in the rabbit AM was abortive (incomplete virus replication), since trypsin treatment of the culture fluids, which may contain incomplete HVJ particles, did not induce infectivity.