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Effect of hormones on herpes simplex virus type-2-induced transformation

Abstract

GLUCOCORTICOID hormones enhance in vitro infections with murine leukaemia virus1 and mouse mammary tumour virus2. The yield of certain strains of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV–2) in certain cell types also increases in the presence of glucocorticoid hormones3. But in one limited study no significant differences were observed in the frequency of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix in mice treated with oestrogens and HSV–2 or oestrogen alone4. Because there is epidemiological evidence that HSV–2 may be oncogenic in humans5, and experimental evidence that inactivated HSV–2 can produce malignant transformation of hamster embryo fibroblast cells in vitro6,7, we have studied the effect of different hormones on HSV–2-induced transformation. We have used a rapid quantitative assay for transformation by HSV–2, using a thymidine kinase (TK) selection procedure described elsewhere (ref. 8 and unpublished work with N. Turner). These transformed cells have been shown to contain HSV-specific antigens as determined by indirect immunofluorescence, but do not yield infectious HSV. Our results indicate that 10−6M cortisol and 10−5 M oestradiol inhibit HSV–2-induced transformation, and that dexamethasone has very little effect on the incidence of transformation.

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GUPTA, P., RAPP, F. Effect of hormones on herpes simplex virus type-2-induced transformation. Nature 267, 254–255 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/267254a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/267254a0

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