Influence of venezuelan equine encephalitis, influenza and mumps vaccine viral strains on morphological patterns and viability of human tumor cells in vitro.

PURPOSE: To study the cytolytic and cytostatic effects in some human tumor cells lines after their infection with vaccine viral stains.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cultures of human tumor cell lines (Hep-2, P3HR-1 and K-562) were exposed to vaccine viral strains of mumps, influenza and venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) to determine the impact of these strains on cell mitotic activity, nuclear abnormalities in interphase, extent of cell vacuole dystrophy and cell viability.
RESULTS: Vaccine strains of the VEE and mumps viruses induced definite cytolytic effect in all studied cell lines, whereas the influenza virus showed such ability only in the Hep-2 cell line. Moreover, the VEE virus induced cytostatic effect in Hep-2, K-562, P3HR-1 cell lines; the mumps virus in Hep-2 and P3HR-1; and the influenza virus in Hep-2 and K- 562 cell lines.
CONCLUSION: Vaccine strains of both the VEE and mumps viruses were able to induce definite cytolytic effect in all studied cell lines. However, further investigations are required to develop novel immunological methods for human tumor treatment.