Anti-transforming nature of ascorbic acid and its derivatives examined by two-stage cell transformation using BALB/c 3T3 cells.

The anti-transforming effects of sodium ascorbate and its stable derivatives were examined in the two-stage transformation assay. When BALB/c 3T3 cells were treated with 0.2 microg/ml 20-methylcholanthrene as an initiator, and 100 ng/ml 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as a promoter, the addition at the promotion stage of L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate ester magnesium (APM) was most marked in the inhibition of transformation. The inhibitory effects of sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid-2-glucoside (AG) were comparable, but weaker than those of APM; L (+)-ascorbic acid-2-sulfate ester disodium 2H(2)O showed little effect. When phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were used as promoters, APM also effectively suppressed transformation.