Vitamin C and immunity: influence of ascorbate on prostaglandin E2 synthesis and implications for natural killer cell activity.

A regimen of vitamin C in the drinking water of several strains of inbred mice has been observed previously to be without substantial effect on natural killer (NK) cell activity. In the present study, macrophage cultures derived from bone marrow of a number of these strains showed, on the average, a 90-100% increase in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production when ascorbate was added. This latter finding might suggest an explanation for the apparent failure of ascorbate to augment NK activity while enhancing interferon production.