Vitamin C for sepsis intervention: from redox biochemistry to clinical medicine

Abstract

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbate, is a water-soluble vitamin synthesized in plants as well as in animals except humans and several other animal species. Humans obtain vitamin C from dietary sources and via vitamin supplementation. Vitamin C possesses important biological functions, including serving as a cofactor for many enzymes, acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, and participating in regulating stem cell biology and epigenetics. The multifunctional nature of vitamin C contributes to its essentialness in maintaining and safeguarding physiological homeostasis, especially regulation of immunity and inflammatory responses. In this context, vitamin C has been investigated for its efficacy in treating diverse inflammatory disorders, including sepsis, one of the major causes of death globally and for which currently there is no cure. Accordingly, this Mini-Review surveys recent major research findings on the effectiveness of vitamin C and the underling molecular mechanisms in sepsis intervention in both experimental animal models and randomized controlled trials. To set a stage for discussing the effects and mechanisms of vitamin C in sepsis intervention, this Mini-Review begins with an overview of vitamin C redox biochemistry and its multifunctional properties.

Clinical efficacy and safety of vitamin C in the treatment of septic shock patients: systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory syndrome caused by potential or known infectious factors, and its progression can lead to shock and multiple organ dysfunction, which is the main cause of death in ICU patients. Despite extensive research on molecular pathogenesis based on targeted therapies, survival rates for severe sepsis and septic shock have not improved significantly (16). In recent years.…”

“…In recent years, clinical trials have reported that intravenous vitamin C reduces the organ function damage caused by sepsis and improves survival (15), and it has been demonstrated that parenteral vitamin C administration reduces organ injury and improves the survival of septic mice (16). However, the precise role of vitamin C as a neoadjuvant in sepsis and septic shock therapy is more controversial (17).…”

Vitamins C and E protect from sepsis-induced lung damage in rat and CT correlation

“…Although vitamin E and C defi ciencies are rare, septic patients followed in the intensive care unit are known to have low plasma concentrations (20,21). The antioxidant activity and immunomodulatory effects of vitamins C and E are important in the functioning of the immune system and infl ammation mechanisms (22,23).…”

A Continuously Tunable Full-Color Emission Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots and for Ultrasensitive and Highly Selective Detection of Ascorbic Acid

“…Ascorbic acid (AA) is not only one of the essential nutrients for the human body, but also a good natural antioxidant which has been used as an additive in many commercial products. As one of the essential nutrients, AA plays vital roles in metabolism, body growth, development [11][12][13], antibody formation, iron absorption [14], folic acid and vitamin E stabilization. By scavenging free radicals, AA can prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer.…”