Possible Interaction: Interferons and Vitamin C

“It has also been established that vitamin C enhances the interferon response to the chemical interferon inducers poly (rI) and poly (rC) [3, 5] as well as to some viruses [2].”

“High dose vitamin C supplementation significantly increased the secretion ratio of interferon (IFN)-gamma/interleukin (IL)-5 cytokines.”

“They found that co-administration of vitamin C prevented the augmented secretion of nitrites, IFN , TNF, IFNand IL6 and increased the expression of IL-15 triggered by gliadin, suggesting that vitamin C supplementation might be beneficial for celiac patients.”

“In various experimental settings, vitamin C increased the functioning of phagocytes, the proliferation of T-lymphocytes and the production of interferon , and decreased the replication of viruses.2 According to animal studies, vitamin C increases resistance to various viral and bacterial infections.”

“It is suggested that an increase in the protective properties of interferon in the presence of dibazol and ascorbic acid is connected with their capacity for stimulating the intracellular production of DNA and protein.”

“It was found that dibazol and ascorbic acid in concentrations of 5 and 10 gamma/ml respectively were capable of increasing the antiviral effect of human interferon in homological cells.”

“The assays of 13 lots of interferon showed that its average titer in the experiments with ascorbic acid was 2.5 times higher than that in the control.”

“ Ascorbic acid enhanced the interferon levels produced by human embryo skin and human embryo lung fibroblasts, induced by Newcastle disease virus and by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid.”

“Leucocyte interferon assayed in lung fibroblasts titrated 0.2-0.3 log10 units higher in the presence of 5 mug ascorbic acid than in the absence of the latter.”

“The pretreatment of cells with L-ascorbic acid slightly increases the yield of interferon produced in souslik cells after induction with NDV-H. Calcium chloride at nontoxic concentrations added together with the virus-inducer practically exhibited no effect on the interferon production in SL cells.”

“Pretreatment of the cells with the poor or noncarcinogens pyrene and ascorbic acid did not effect interferon induction; in fact, treatment with ascorbic acid may have enhanced interferon production.”

“WE have reported1 an increased response to interferon induction in mice fed a diet containing vitamin C , and have now found a similar phenomenon in vitro.”

“We observed an unexpected positive association between ascorbic acid and IFN-γ.”