Effect of sodium salicylate on hamster cells in vitro.

Doses of sodium salicylate greater than 100 mug/ml increased the generation time of baby hamster kidney (BHK 21) cells in culture from 16 to 35 hr. Exposure to similar doses of salicylate for 18-44 hr resulted in a marked reduction of RNA synthesis. The species of RNA synthesized in the presence of sodium salicylate appeared to be similar to those synthesized by normal cells in the absence of sodium salicylate. Sodium salicylate did not alter the oxidative phosphorylation of BHK cells.