[Effects of colchicine, vinblastine and mercury p-hydroxybenzoate on the multiplication of adenovirus 5 in HeLa cells].

After 30 min incubation at 37 with 10(-4) M PHMB (p-hydroxymercuribenzoate), monolayers of HeLa cells are not affected; after 3 h exposure to 10(-5) M colchicin or 2.5 X 10(-5) M vinblastine, HeLa cells are not altered morphologically but the number of cells is decreasing between 1 and 2 days post treatment. When cells are kept in suspension after trypsinization, their ability to adhere to the Petri dishes is not altered with 10(-4) M PHMB but only 50% of the cells are able to attach after treatment with colchicine or vinblastine. Adenovirus type 5 is unsensitive to the effect of colchicine and vinblastine at various concentrations, after 3 h incubation at 37. With 10(-3) M PHMB, the virus is inactivated, infectivity and hemagglutinating activity are almost abolished but the particles are unsensitive to pancreatic DNase, so that the structure of the viral particle is intact. This effect is reduced with 10(-4) M PHMB. The adenovirus 5 multiplication is not affected when HeLa cells are treated with 10(-5) M colchicine or 2.5 X 10(-5) M vinblastine, before and during adsorption of the virus. The viral production decreases after 24 h treatment with colchicine or vinblastine. Treatment with 10(-4) M PHMB does not influence intra- or extracellular viral yield.