Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1992 Oct;30(10):2551–2554. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.10.2551-2554.1992

Effects of ascorbic acid on Chlamydia trachomatis infection and on erythromycin treatment in primary cultures of human amniotic cells.

S K Wang 1, D L Patton 1, C C Kuo 1
PMCID: PMC270477  PMID: 1400952

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an essential nutrient for humans. It may also be needed by Chlamydia trachomatis, an intracellular bacterium. We investigated the effects of vitamin C on the growth of C. trachomatis E/UW-5/Cx in a primary culture of human amniotic epithelial cells. The results showed that vitamin C enhances C. trachomatis infection at concentrations of 0.2, 0.6, and 1.2 mg/dl (P less than 0.001). These three concentrations represent the in vivo concentrations of deficiency, normal, and overload levels in serum, respectively. The enhancement was dose dependent. However, the growth of C. trachomatis was inhibited at vitamin C concentrations of 120 and 1,200 mg/dl. The inhibitory effect of erythromycin against C. trachomatis was shown to be reduced in the presence of vitamin C at the three concentrations tested (P less than 0.025-0.001), and MICs were four times greater (1.6 versus 0.4 micrograms/ml). Human amniotic cells were tolerant to vitamin C concentrations of up to 1,200 mg/dl. The results show that vitamin C may be an important nutrient for C. trachomatis and that incorporation of vitamin C in the culture medium may enhance the isolation and propagation of C. trachomatis in cell cultures.

Full text

PDF
2551

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BADER J. P., MORGAN H. R. Latent viral infection of cells in tissue culture. VII. Role of water-soluble vitamins in psittacosis virus propagation in L cells. J Exp Med. 1961 Feb 1;113:271–281. doi: 10.1084/jem.113.2.271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brajtburg J., Elberg S., Kobayashi G. S., Medoff G. Effects of ascorbic acid on the antifungal action of amphotericin B. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1989 Sep;24(3):333–337. doi: 10.1093/jac/24.3.333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bucca C., Rolla G., Arossa W., Caria E., Elia C., Nebiolo F., Baldi S. Effect of ascorbic acid on increased bronchial responsiveness during upper airway infection. Respiration. 1989;55(4):214–219. doi: 10.1159/000195737. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hancock R. E., Wong P. G. Compounds which increase the permeability of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1984 Jul;26(1):48–52. doi: 10.1128/aac.26.1.48. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Levine M. New concepts in the biology and biochemistry of ascorbic acid. N Engl J Med. 1986 Apr 3;314(14):892–902. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198604033141407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Melnick S. L., Alvarez J. O., Navia J. M., Cogen R. B., Roseman J. M. A case-control study of plasma ascorbate and acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. J Dent Res. 1988 May;67(5):855–860. doi: 10.1177/00220345880670051201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Moulder J. W. Intracellular parasitism: life in an extreme environment. J Infect Dis. 1974 Sep;130(3):300–306. doi: 10.1093/infdis/130.3.300. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Neeper I. D., Patton D. L., Kuo C. C. Cinematographic observations of growth cycles of Chlamydia trachomatis in primary cultures of human amniotic cells. Infect Immun. 1990 Jul;58(7):2042–2047. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.7.2042-2047.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Rawal B. D. Bactericidal action of ascorbic acid on Psuedomonas aeruginosa: alteration of cell surface as a possible mechanism. Chemotherapy. 1978;24(3):166–171. doi: 10.1159/000237777. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rogers T. J., Adams-Burton K., Mallon M., Hafdahl B., Rivas V., Donnelly R., O'Day K. Dietary ascorbic acid and resistance to experimental renal candidiasis. J Nutr. 1983 Jan;113(1):178–183. doi: 10.1093/jn/113.1.178. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Shilotri P. G., Bhat K. S. Effect of mega doses of vitamin C on bactericidal ativity of leukocytes. Am J Clin Nutr. 1977 Jul;30(7):1077–1081. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/30.7.1077. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Yong E. C., Chi E. Y., Kuo C. C. Differential antimicrobial activity of human mononuclear phagocytes against the human biovars of Chlamydia trachomatis. J Immunol. 1987 Aug 15;139(4):1297–1302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Yong E. C., Klebanoff S. J., Kuo C. C. Toxic effect of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes on Chlamydia trachomatis. Infect Immun. 1982 Aug;37(2):422–426. doi: 10.1128/iai.37.2.422-426.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES