Effect of ascorbic acid, sodium salicylate, and caffeine on the serum interferon level in response to viral infection.

The ability of ascorbic acid, sodium salicylate, and caffeine to alter the circulating serum level of interferon was investigated in mice. The animals were singly injected subcutaneously with one of the compounds, 4-8 h later again singly injected intraperitoneally with poly I:C, and bled 6-8 h afterward. The sera from the mice were assayed for interferon titer by the use of the plaque inhibition method utilizing vesicular stomatitis virus. Ascorbic acid, sodium salicylate, and caffeine increased the serum level of interferon; however, the increase produced by sodium salicylate was dose-dependent, i.e. low doses increased interferon titers, high doses decreased the titers. Caffeine produced minimal increases in the interferon titer. These observations suggest that a potential prophylactic result may occur in virus infections from administration of the three compounds either singly or in combination at the proper concentration.