Natural killer activity, production of interferon-gamma and interleukin 2 in immunodeficient C57BL/6 mice injected with RadLV-Rs viral complex

Injection of the RadLV-Rs, a viral complex originally obtained from radio-induced thymic lymphosarcomas, into C57BL/6 mice induces a massive enlargement of spleen and lymph nodes. T- and B cell-proliferating populations display severe deterioration of their immune functions, resulting in death of the animals within three months. In contrast, the experiments reported here indicate that in such animals the natural killer (NK) activity is increased for about 2 months after viral injection. Interleukin 2 production is dramatically decreased, whereas interferon-gamma production is increased to twice the control value and thereafter decreases concomitantly with NK activity. This suggests that in RadLV-Rs-injected mice, the high NK activity is related to interferon-gamma production.