α-Lipoic acid supplementation inhibits oxidative damage, accelerating chronic wound healing in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Abstract

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is successfully used for the treatment of a variety of conditions. However, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of oxygen induces production of reactive oxygen species, causing damage to the cells. Thus, antioxidant supplementation has been proposed as an adjuvant to attenuate such deleterious secondary effects. We evaluated the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) in patients affected by chronic wounds undergoing HBO treatment. LA supplementation efficiently reduces both the lipid and DNA oxidation induced by oxygen exposure. LA exerted its antioxidant activity by directly interacting with free radicals or by recycling vitamin E. An inhibitory effect of LA on the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 was observed. Taken together, we demonstrated an adjuvant effect of LA in HBO therapy used for impaired wound healing treatment. We propose that LA may be used to further promote the beneficial effects of HBO therapy.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve symptoms in autistic children

“…Concerns have been raised that HBOT may cause increased oxidative stress through the production of reactive oxygen species [112]. This concern is controversial as studies have shown mixed results.…”

“…In spite of this, therapies to raise glutathione levels [100] and the use of antioxidants [120] may be beneficial in patients with conditions of increased oxidative stress before HBOT is contemplated. Several antioxidant supplements have been found to attenuate oxidative stress induced by high pressure HBOT including a-lipoic acid [112], melatonin [121], N-acetylcysteine [111,122], vitamin E [123], riboflavin [124], selenium [123,124], and glutathione [125]. Based upon these findings, a combination of antioxidants and HBOT may help reduce oxidative stress in autistic children and lead to improvements in symptoms.…”

Wound healing and antioxidant properties: do they coexist in plants?

“…[29] The effect of LA supplementation in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) was investigate. [30] It was shown that LA exerts its antioxidant activity either by directly interacting with free radicals, thereby counteracting lipid and DNA oxidation induced by oxygen exposure, or by recycling vitamin E, thus enhancing the total antioxidant status of the plasma. An inhibitory effect of LA on pro-inflammatory cytokine was also reported.…”

Cellular Responses to Egg-Oil (Charismon©)

“…Therapeutic intervention with hyperbaric oxygen additionally increases ROS levels and impairs wound healing. This negative effect can be abolished by α-lipoic acid mediated ROS scavenging (30). Chronic wound fluid was reported to contain more antioxidants than acute wounds, indicating an adaptive response (31), similar to the hormetic response found for egg-oil action which may potentiate this physiological reaction.…”