Abstract
Equine dermal cells induced with poly I:C + DEAE-dextran produced low levels of interferon tentatively classified as equine interferon beta (EqIFN-β). In contrast, dermal cells initially primed with EqIFN-β and then superinduced with poly I:C + DEAE-dextran in the presence of cycloheximide and actinomycin D produced greater than 100-fold EqIFN-β. Equine blood mononuclear cells induced with Newcastle disease virus and phytohemagglutinin produced high levels of interferons tentatively classified as equine interferon alpha (EqIFN-α) and equine interferon gamma (EqIFN-γ), respectively. Both KqIFN-β and EqIFN-γ exhibited equivalent antiviral activity on equine, bovine, and ovine cells while EqIFN-α had greater activity on bovine and ovine cells than on equine cells. Furthermore, EqIFN-α had high antiviral activity on human cells. No detectable levels of antiviral activity of equine interferons was observed on feline and mouse cells.
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