VIRAL-INFECTION ENHANCES THE RESPONSE TO SACCHAROPOLYSPORA-RECTIVIRGULA IN MICE PRECHALLENGED WITH THIS FARMERS LUNG ANTIGEN

Sendai viral infection enhances mice lung response to Saccharopolyspor a rectivirgula (SR). The mechanisms of this viral enhancement remain u nclear. The present study was done to verify if the viral infection wa s required and if the presence of the viral infection needed to be giv en simultaneously with the SR antigen for the enhanced response to occ ur. In a first experiment groups of C57BL/6 mice were instilled concom itantly with SR and Live or inactivated Sendai virus. In a second expe riment the viral infection in the appropriate group preceded the SR ch allenges by 4 weeks, As reported previously SR induced a cellular infl ammatory response. This effect of SR was enhanced by the viral infecti on but not by inactivated virus particles. Total lavage cells 3 weeks after the virus inoculation in the appropriate groups were: saline = 6 9 +/- 15 x 10(3); SR = 678 +/- 104 x 10(3); Sendai = 277 +/- 61 x 10(3 ); inactivated Sendai = 73 +/- 23 x 10(3); SR + Sendai = 1232 +/- 232 x 10(3); SR + inactivated Sendai = 515 +/- 54 x 10(3), In the second e xperiment, where the infection preceded the SR challenge, no enhanceme nt was observed. We conclude that Sendai virus enhances mice lung resp onse to SR by an infectious process when both SR and the virus are pre sent simultaneously.