Interferon induction by radioprotective mercaptoalkylamines and derived thiophosphates.

Radioprotective thiols (five mercaptoalkylamines and four derived thiophosphates) induced interferon and resistance to virus infection. Interferon production occurred in human and mouse nonlymphoid cell cultures. One of the thiols, S,2-aminoethylisothiourea, given intraperitoneally, protected mice against two unrelated viruses--Semliki forest virus and Herpesvirus hominis type 1. Two structurally different radioprotective thiols--the disulfide cystamine and L-cysteine--were unable to induce the firus resistance state or interferon.