To determine an antiapoptotic activity of poliovirus type 1 (PV-1), we exam
ined the effect of PV-1 infection on apoptosis that was induced in HEp-2 ce
lls by the treatment with I M sorbitol. The virus did not induce apoptosis
in the infected cells and could suppress both the fragmentation of chromoso
mal DNA and morphological cell and cell nuclei changes in the sorbitol-trea
ted cells, indicating that PV-1 induces an antiapoptotic state. Comparison
of the kinetics showed that this ability of the virus appeared in the infec
ted cells at the time of progeny virus formation (maturation step of virus
multiplication). Simultaneously with this antiapoptotic activity, PV-1 infe
ction also suppressed non-apoptotic cell death induced by sodium chloride.
Electron microscopic observation revealed that the cells killed by the sodi
um chloride treatment had undergone liquefactive necrosis, indicating that
PV-1 can inhibit both apoptosis and necrosis. In addition, PV-1 can grow in
the apoptotic cells, although the virus yield was reduced to a quarter of
the yield in normal cells.