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Abstract
Erythrocytes from various species showed a gradient of sensitivity to agglutination by arboviruses, from reptile erythrocytes, relatively insensitive, to avian erythrocytes, the most sensitive tested. Lipids extracted from both inagglutinable and agglutinable erythrocytes inhibited arbovirus haemagglutination. Lipid fractionated on DEAE-cellulose columns yielded two major inhibitory fractions, one containing only neutral lipid including cholesterol and another phospholipid and neutral lipid but no cholesterol. Fractionation of the lipid on silicic-acid columns resulted in a loss of activity in the fractions compared with the total lipid extract. Recombination of the fractions did not restore the inhibitory activity. Similar loss of activity followed treatment of lipid extracts with digitonin.
No evidence of an essential component in inhibitory lipid mixtures was observed. Tests of mixtures of standard lipids gave results suggesting the need for suitable arrangements of lipids in aqueous solutions for interaction with arboviruses. Only certain combinations of lipids were potent inhibitors. The interactions observed were thought to be between arboviruses, which contain lipid, and artificial lipid aggregates in aqueous solutions. The arrangements of lipids were not thought analogous to receptor sites on erythrocytes.
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