In Vivo Protective Effect of Tumour Necrosis Factor   Against Experimental Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

C57BL/6 mice, which differ genetically from other strains by their resistance to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, were inoculated intraperitoneally with different doses of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Mice pretreated with 100 ng, or even 10 ng, of TNF-alpha showed prolonged survival compared to control mice that were infected with 10(7) p.f.u. of HSV-1. Significant protection was observed in mice injected 4 or 8 h prior to or after HSV-1 inoculation, respectively. Protection was also observed when mice which differed at their H-2 locus were treated with TNF-alpha after infection with HSV-1. Interferon could not be detected in the sera of mice at different time poi…