The effect of temperature on production and function of bovine interferons

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Abstract
Subnormal temperatures were found to depress the production of interferon by bovid herpesvirus 2 (BHV-2)-infected bovine testicular cells, bovine peripheral blood leukocytes, and bovine monocytes, as well as by BHV-2 antigen-stimulated immune peripheral blood leukocytes. Interferon titers generated at 30° C were approximately 10 percent of those at 40° C. Also, subnormal temperatures depressed interferon function. Bovine testicular cells treated at 40° C for 24 hours with high concentrations of BHV-2-induced bovine monocyte interferon or BHV-2 antigen-stimulated immune peripheral blood leukocyte interferon, and then infected with BHV-2 and retreated with interferon at 40° C, had little or no viral growth or cytopathic effect after 72 hours. Cultures without interferon, or those treated with the same amount of interferon at 30° C, had significantly more cytopathic effect and had viral titiers up to 107 TCID50 higher than cultures at 40° C. Earlierin vitro studies done without exogenous interferon showed that BHV-2 replicated to high titers at 30° but not at 40° C. Thus, at low temperatures (30° C)in vitro, BHV-2 induced little interferon, was not highly suppressed by interferon, and replicated to high titers. At higher temperatures (40° C), BHV-2 replication induced high interferon levels, was strongly suppressed by interferon, and replicated poorly. This may help explain the restriction of BHV-2 lesions to skin despite the presence of virus in both skin and internal organs in infected cattle.

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