Augmented Ability of Spleen Cells to Produce Interferons and Prevention from Lethal Infection of herpes simplex virus in Mice Orally Treated with Entrococcus faecalis Preparation, FK-23

Abstract

Effects of the oral or intraperitoneal administration of an Enterococcus preparation, FK-23, to mice on the interferon (IFN) production by their spleen cells and on the host defense against the infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 were examined. Spleen cells were obtained from the mice intraperitoneally treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) and subsequently orally administered FK-23 preparation, and then cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P or bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vitro. They produced higher titers IFN than those obtained from control mice which were not treated with the FK-23 preparation. The IFN activity was neutralized mainly by antiIFN-β antibody. Correspondingly, oral (5mg/mouse) or intraperitoneal (1mg/mouse) administration of the FK-23 preparation protected some of the CY-pretreated mice from death by HSV-1 infection.