Evaluation of gentamicin for use in virology and tissue culture

Data are presented comparing gentamicin to penicillin and streptomycin (Pen-Strep) in tissue culture medium with respect to a number of parameters associated with virology and tissue culture. Unlike Pen-Strep, gentamicin was stable at pH 2 to 10 for 15 days at 37 C in tissue culture medium, and its activity was unaffected by the presence of serum. Moreover, it was stable to autoclaving. Twenty cell types replicated normally at the suggested concentration of 50 mug/ml, and all cells were unaffected by 20 times this concentration. Evidence for its practical use in virus studies was demonstrated in that (i) it was not viricidal to ribonucleic acid or deoxyribonucleic acid viruses at 40 times the suggested concentration at 37 C, (ii) the size and number of plaques were not affected by 20 times the suggested concentration, (iii) interferon assays and production were unaffected by 20 times the suggested concentrations. Gentamicin may be uniquely useful for shipment of clinical specimens and long-term tissue culture and virus studies.