title: Effect of environmental carcinogens and other chemicals on murine alpha/beta interferon production.
abstract: Mouse embryo fibroblast cultures were pretreated with a variety of chemicals found in the environment. After chemical treatment, polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid was added to the cultures to induce alpha/beta interferon. Pretreatment of the cell cultures with the chemical carcinogens chloroform and beta-propiolactone severely inhibited the production of alpha/beta interferon, while pretreatment of the cell cultures with their poorly or noncarcinogenic analogs 1,1,1-trichloroethane and gamma-butyrolactone had no effect on interferon induction. Pretreatment of the cell cultures with the possible carcinogen diethylstilbestrol had no effect on alpha/beta interferon induction. 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. These results augment previous findings that most potent carcinogens can inhibit the induction of alpha/beta interferon.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D007370:Interferon Type I