Abstract
Background: Many clinical reports have indicated that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) improves vasodilatory impairments in patients with diabetes mellitus, but there is very little in vivo evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness on the brain. Objective: To investigate long-term effects of oral vitamin C administration on the cerebral microvascular vasodilation in diabetes, using streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Materials and methods: Diabetes was induced in male Wistar Furth rats by a single intravenous injection of STZ (55 mg/kg b.w). Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was administered in drinking water (1g/l). The rats were divided into control and diabetic groups with or without administration of vitamin C. The cerebral microcirculation was observed at different times (12, 24 and 36 weeks) after vitamin C supplementation, using fluorescence videomicroscopy. Responses of cerebral arterioles to acetylcholine (ACh), adenosine-5 diphosphate (ADP) and nitroglycerine (NTG) were studied by measuring diameters of cerebral arterioles before and after topical application on the cortical surface. Results: The vasodilatory responses of cerebral arterioles to ACh and ADP were significantly decreased in diabetic rats, compared with non-diabetic (control) rats. The response to NTG was not altered in diabetic rats, indicating that the vasodilatory impairment involves at the endothelium. The impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation was prevented by long-term vitamin C administration. Conclusion: Long-term oral vitamin C administration might be of clinical relevance in improving cerebral microvascular vasodilatory impairment in diabetes.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.