Association of Rat Virus and Moloney Leukemia Virus in Tissues of Inoculated Rats2

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Abstract
Rat virus (RV) was recovered in tissue cultures from suspensions of thymus material and spleens of Osborne-Mendel rats, and from plasma concentrates of Sprague-Dawley rats used in certain lots of the Moloney leukemia virus (MLV) prepared at different institutions. Suckling wild rats given a preparation of MLV, contaminated by RV, were dead or moribund within 16 days. Direct examination of their tissues revealed RV hemagglutinins as well as intranuclear inclusions. The question is raised whether the association of RV and MLV was simply fortuitous or might not represent a synergistic relation worthy of consideration in leukemia experiments involving rats.