title: In vitro effects of vitamin C, thioctic acid and dihydrolipoic acid on the cytotoxicity of post-ethanol serum.
abstract: The serum of subjects consuming ethanol contains a non-dialysable cytotoxic activity, which is thought to reside in unstable acetaldehyde-protein adducts: the cytotoxic effects have been attributed to the transfer of acetaldehyde molecules from such adducts to target cells. When post-alcohol sera are incubated for 3 hr with ascorbic acid, thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid at a concentration of 10-500 micrograms/mL, their cytotoxicity against A9 cells is reduced. Post-alcohol sera incubated with these concentrations of thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid also had reduced cytotoxic activity against phytohaemagglutinin-transformed normal human lymphocytes. Studies with artificially produced [14C]acetaldehyde-125I-albumin complexes showed that treatment with thioctic acid or dihydrolipoic acid resulted in a reduced transfer of [14C]acetaldehyde to K562 cells. If these in vitro data also apply in vivo and if circulating acetaldehyde-protein adducts play a role in alcohol-mediated tissue damage, vitamin C and, to a greater extent, thioctic acid may have a beneficial effect in patients with acute and chronic alcohol toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, London, U.K.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Wickramasinghe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasan
mesh_terms: D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line / Q000187:drug effects; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D012709:Serum Albumin; C048198:dihydrolipoic acid methyl ester; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D000079:Acetaldehyde; D001205:Ascorbic Acid