Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin indicated for the prevention and treatment of scurvy. In vitro
Ascorbate when combined with copper rapidly reduces the viscosity of DNA solutions and has exhibited some carcinostatic effects on transplanted sarcoma 180 tumours in mice. Exposure of HL-60 cells to increasing concentrations of H2O2 results in dose-dependent intracellular accumulation of peroxides, which is accompanied by a decrease in intracellular ascorbic acid and an increase in apoptosis. Ascorbic acid loading also provides strong protection from apoptosis associated with serum- and glucose-free culture of HL-60 cells. Vitamin C is found to protect GSH-depleted HL-60 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Vitamin C inhibits the formation of ROS in both normal and GSH-depleted cells. Ascorbate (1 mM) generates 161 mM H2O2 in Dulbecco\'s modified Eagle\'s medium and induces apoptosis in 50% of HL60 cells, whereas in RPMI 1640 only 83 mM H2O2 is produced and no apoptosis is detected.
In vivo
Treatment of rats with Vitamin C 10 min prior to the cisplatin inhibits cisplatin-mediated damage. The enhanced serum creatinine levels which are indicative of renal injury shows a significant reduction with the three doses of Vitamin C tested. Cell Data
