Prophylactic Effect Of Vitamin Research Articles

The prophylactic effect of vitamin C supplementation on broiler ascites incidence and plasma thyroid hormone concentration

Summary In a two‐factorial experiment, 420 1‐day‐old male commercial broiler chickens were randomly divided and fed a basal diet with or without vitamin C (500 parts/106). Half of the birds within each group receiving the same kind of feed were fed a T3 supplemented diet from day 1, in order to increase the ascites incidence. Weekly body weight and feed intake were measured. Venous blood samples were taken from 10 birds per group weekly from day 14 on, for haematocrit measurements, blood gas analysis, measurement of thyroid hormones and lactate/pyruvate ratios. Ascites mortality was recorded daily. Dietary T3 significantly increased ascites mortality. Adding vitamin C to the feed significantly reduced ascites mortality while it had no effect on performance parameters. Plasma thyroid hormone levels were significantly reduced by dietary vitamin C administration, but neither haematocrit nor blood gas levels were influenced.

Vitamin E prevents endothelial injury associated with cisplatin injection into the superior mesenteric artery of rats.

To clarify the pathogenesis of the vascular injury caused by the administration of anti-neoplastic drugs, cisplatin with lipiodol was infused into the superior mesenteric artery of rats. Morphological and biochemical changes in the vascular wall and the prophylactic effects of vitamin E were examined 4 days after administration. In the cisplatin-treated group, but not in the other groups, severe endothelial injury, such as vacuolation, subendothelial edema, and destruction of the internal elastic membrane, was observed. Superoxide dismutase, a potent scavenger of the superoxide anion, was markedly lower in the cisplatin group, and Na/K-ATPase, a marker of the plasma membrane, was also low in this group. These morphological changes were minimal, and enzyme activity was higher in the vitamin E-treated group than in the cisplatin-treated group. These findings indicate that endothelial injury after cisplatin administration could be caused by free radical-induced lipid peroxidation of the membrane system, and that such injury may be prevented by the co-administration of vitamin E.

The effect of vitamin C on the rapid induction of aortic changes in rabbits.

Male rabbits were injected intraperitoneally for five consecutive days with one of the following: (A) 0.3 ml/kg dimethyl ethylene glycol (solvent); (B) 40 mg/kg cholesterol and 8 mg/kg ergocalciferol in solvent; (C) same regimen as B with the addition of 150 mg/kg ascorbic acid in water. Daily blood samples were taken for determination of cholesterol and triglycerides, and for lipoprotein electrophoresis. After 5 days of injections, histological sections were made of the aorta at the arch. After 5 days, group B, as compared with group A, had higher serum cholesterol (150 ng/dl vs. 50 mg/dl, p less than 0.005), higher serum triglycerides (650 mg/dl vs. 150 mg/dl, p less than 0.01), and lower high-density lipoprotein (16% vs. 35%, p less than 0.05). On autopsy, discontinuous elastic fibers and intimal damage were seen in sections of the aortas from group B, but not from group A. After 5 days, group C had control levels of cholesterol (55 mg/dl) and triglycerides (160 mg/dl), and no significant difference from the control lipoprotein profile. Injections of cholesterol alone showed a slight induction of aortic lesions and blood chemistry changes. No alterations in these parameters were induced by ergocalciferol alone. The data indicate a prophylactic effect of vitamin C on the biochemical and histological changes rapidly induced by cholesterol and ergocalciferol.