EFFECTS OF THE BACTERIAL IMMUNOMODULATOR GF787 ON ANTIVIRAL PROPERTIES OF BALB/C NU/NU AND NU/+ MACROPHAGES - ROLE OF INTERFERON AND TNF INDUCTION

A bacterial immunomodulator designated GF787, which is a fraction of Propionibacterium acnes, has been tested in vitro for its properties to induce interferon and TNF in different peritoneal macrophage populations. The evaluations were carried out on nu/nu and nu/+ BALB/c mice peritoneal macrophages in terms of intrinsic antiviral activity versus HSV-1, and IFN and TNF release. We show that GF787 is able to increase the intrinsic antiviral activity of macrophages in parallel with the induction of IFN and TNF. The macrophage population more prone to be stimulated by the bacterial immunomodulator is represented by the resident peritoneal macrophages, primed in vitro with gamma-interferon, obtained from nu/+ BALB/c mice.