Murine cellular cytotoxicity to syngeneic and xenogeneic herpes simplex virus-infected cells

Cellular cytotoxicity of C57BL/6 adult mice peritoneal cells to xenogeneic (Chang liver) and syngeneic (BL/6-WT3) herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected cells was analyzed in a 6-h 51Cr release assay. There was no difference in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity to either target. There was no natural killer cytotoxicity to targets with cells from uninfected mice except at very high effector cell ratios. HSV-infected (2 X 10(4) PFU intraperitoneally 1 day previously) mice mediated significantly higher antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and required less antibody (10(-5) versus 10(-2) dilution), fewer cells, and less time to kill than cells from uninfected mice. HSV-infected mice mediated natural killer cytotoxicity but preferentially killed syngeneic HSV-infected cells. Stimulation of cytotoxicity was not virus specific since influenza-infected mice mediated similar levels of cytotoxicity to HSV-infected targets. There was no difference in morphology (95% macrophage) or in the percentage of FcR-positive cells, but infected mice had more peritoneal cells and generated higher levels of superoxide in response to opsonized zymosan or phorbolmyristate acetate. These data demonstrate nonspecific virus-stimulated metabolic and effector cell function which may enhance clearance of virus in an infected host.