Microcalorimetric study of virus infection; The effects of hyperthermia and 1b recombinant homo interferon on the infection process of BHK-21 cells by foot and mouth disease virus

The metabolic process of BHK-21 cell line infected by foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) was determined by using LKB-2277 Bioactivity Monitor. The aim of the present study is to investigate the metabolic thermal power of the virus infection process of BHK-21 cells, the effects of combinational treatments of hyperthermia and 1b recombinant homo interferon on this process. In contrast to the metabolic thermal power of uninfected BHK-21 cells, the thermogenetic curves show that the energy metabolism mechanisms of BHK-21 cells were significantly changed by the virus infection process. The maximum thermal power decreased and the time needed to reach the maximal thermal power increased with the increasing concentration of interferon. The results also show that the infection process was thermosensitive. But no apparent synergetic effect of the combinational treatments of hyperthermia and interferon was observed. The present microcalorimetric results are in accordance with the cytomorphology observations.