EFFECT OF CULTURE SUPERNATANT OF MT‐2 CELLS ON HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS‐PRODUCING CELLS, MOLT‐4/HIV HTLV‐IIIB CELLS

The effect of culture supernatant of MT‐2 cells on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐producing cells, MOLT‐4/HIVHTLV‐IIIB cells, was examined. As compared to the effect on MOLT‐4 cells, parent cells not infected with HIV, a selective cytotoxic/cytostatic effect on MOLT‐4/ HIVHTLV‐IIIB cells was observed 4 days after treatment with up to 640‐fold‐diluted MT‐2 supernatant. Furthermore, under similar conditions, a 2‐ to 6‐fold increase in the number of HIV particles was detected in the culture of MOLT‐4/HIVHTLV‐IIIB cells 6 hr after treatment. Complete blocking of these effects by anti‐lymphotoxin monoclonal antibody, but not by anti‐tumor necrosis factor antibody, indicates that these effects of MT‐2 supernatant on MOLT‐4/HIVHTLV‐IIIB cells are attributable to a lymphotoxin‐related cytotoxic factor.