Full text loading...
Abstract
Sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) flux in African green monkey kidney cells (Vero) was examined following infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). A decline in the rate of K+ uptake at 5 h post-infection was shown using 86Rb+ as a K+ tracer. In contrast, host protein synthesis was inhibited by 3 h post-infection. The decrease in rate of K+ transport to levels 70 to 90% of that of mock-infected cells did not, however, reflect an inability of HSV-1-infected cells to maintain normal intracellular concentrations of Na+ and K+. At 7 h post-infection, intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations were determined to be 26.6 ± 9.4 mm- and 33.3 ± 10.3 mm-Na+ and 130.1 ± 4.7 mm- and 137.1 ± 3.2 mm-K+ in mock-infected and HSV-1-infected cells respectively. Intracellular Na+ did not increase above control levels over at least a 9 h period following HSV-1 infection. The Michaelis constant (K m) of K+ transport in HSV-1-infected or mock-infected Vero cells at 6 h post-infection was determined to be the same with calculated values of 1.38 ± 0.51 mm and 1.79 ± 0.42 mm respectively. A virus-induced alteration of intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations cannot, therefore, account for the HSV-1-induced inhibition of host protein synthesis at 3 h post-infection as has been suggested in other virus systems.
- Received:
- Accepted:
- Published Online: