U.v.-enhanced reactivation of u.v.-irradiated herpes virus by primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

Carcinogen treatment of cultured mammalian cells prior to infection with u.v.-irradiated virus results in enhanced virus survival and mutagenesis suggesting the induction of SOS-type processes. The development of a primary rat hepatocyte culture system is reported to investigate cellular responses to DNA damage which may be relevant to hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo. Enhanced reactivation of u.v.-irradiated Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) occurred in hepatocytes irradiated with u.v. Cultured hepatocytes were pretreated with u.v. at the time of enhanced DNA synthesis. These treatments caused an inhibition followed by a recovery of DNA synthesis. At various times after pretreatment, the hepatocytes were infected with control or u.v.-irradiated HSV-1 at low multiplicity, and virus survival was measured. U.v.-irradiated HSV-1 exhibited the expected two-component survival curve in control or u.v. pretreated hepatocytes. The magnitude of enhanced reactivation of HSV-1 was dependent on the u.v. dose to the hepatocytes, the time of infection foolowing u.v. pretreatment, and the level of DNA synthesis at the time of pretreatment. These results suggest that u.v. treatment of rat hepatocytes causes the induction of SOS-type functions tht may have a role in the initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis. (author)