Suppression of infectious virus spread and corneal opacification by the combined use of recombinant interferon beta and interleukin-10 following corneal infection with herpes simplex virus-1 in mice

The effects of Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and recombinant murine interferon-β (rMuIFN-β) on experimental corneal herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) inoculation in BALB/c mice were examined. The mice were inoculated with the HSV-1 strain KOS at their corneas after abrasion. IL-10 was then administered topically once a day for 10 days beginning 7 days post inoculation, while rMuIFN-β was administered once a day for 10 days beginning 1 day post inoculation. The local viral growth in the inoculated eyes and trigeminal ganglia was reduced in the rMuIFN-β-treated mice but not in the IL-10-treated mice. In the mice treated with both rMuIFN-β and IL-10, the degree of both the local viral growth and corneal opacification decreased. The establishment of HSV-1 latency in the trigeminal ganglia was partially prevented by rMuIFN-β treatment but not by IL-10 treatment. The combined use of the cytokines resulted in both the suppression of viral spread and the prevention of corneal inflammation induced by HSV-1 infection.