[Sensitivity of cell cultures to the bovine respiratory syncytial virus]

Investigated was the individual susceptibility of individual batches of primary cell cultures of fetal and normal calf kidney as well as of individual series of cultures of fetal and normal lamb kidney to the replication of the strains Antonovo/448 and Nomi of the bovine respiratory-syncytial virus. It was found that both types of primary cultures possessed varying susceptibility to the virus, which was likely to be genetically substantiated. It was shown that beside such susceptibility of various batches of the same origin the susceptibility of cell cultures of different origin was also essential for the replication of the virus. Thus, the AUBEK stable cell line of bovine origin and the diploid cell culture of lamb thyroid proved definitely more susceptible to the virus as compared to the primary cultures of calf kidney and testis. It is stated that the addition of dimethylsulfoxide in final concentration of 0.5 per cent in the maintaining medium of the infected cell culture of calf kidney raised the infectious titer and the yield of virus by 1 log and enhanced syncytium production.