Attempts to establish the scrapie agent in cell lines.

Attempts were made to establish a persistent infection with scrapie agent in four murine cell lines. Of the four lines tested, viz. P388D1, P3-NS1-Ag-1 (NS1), L cells and an NS1 spleen cell hybrid, only the NS1 cell line showed any evidence of agent replication. Ten per cent dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) was included in the culture media of L cells inoculated with scrapie agent. This treatment raised the initial levels of scrapie agent associating with the L cells but did not result in a persistently infected cell line. An effect of DMSO in the inoculum was observed in mice inoculated intraperitoneally, the incubation period of the disease was considerably shortened.