Biological Characteristics and Viral Spectrum of Serially Cultivated Fetal Rhesus Monkey Kidney Cells ∗

Summary

A serially cultivated tissue, designated HL-8, has been developed from fetal rhesus monkey kidney. A limited supply, frozen in liquid nitrogen, is available (ECD).³ The tissue culture exhibits persistent aneuploidy with a mean diploid chromosome number. It displays contact inhibition, an epithelial-like appearance in sparse culture, and consistent morphology and viral susceptibility during an approximately 13-month lifespan in vitro. The viral spectrum is comparable to primary rhesus monkey kidney tissue culture. HL-8 was able to support the growth of enteroviruses as well as primary MK. Laboratory adenovirus and re-ovirus strains grew and could be passed on HL-8, as could vaccinia and rubella. Surprisingly, HL-8 was successful in the recovery of several myxoviruses including virulent and vaccine measles. As with other serially cultivated cells, HL-8 was significantly inferior for propagation of influenza A₂ and parainfluenza 1.