Abstract
Vitamin C, available in its reduced form (ascorbic acid; AA) and in its oxidized form (dehydroascorbic acid; DHA), may act in physiological conditions as an antioxidant or pro-oxidant. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of pharmacological doses of AA in a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (WiDr) in vitro, through spectrophotometry, clonogenic assays and flow cytometry, and in vivo with xenotransplanted Balb/c nu/nu mice. The results show that the reduced form of vitamin C induces an anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effect in adenocarcinoma colorectal cells under study. The results obtained in vivo after treatment with AA showed a large reduction in the rate of tumor growth. Such understanding can guide decisions about which colorectal cancer patients might potentially benefit from vitamin C pharmacologic therapy.
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