title: In vitro lipid peroxidation of human serum catalyzed by cupric ion: antioxidant rather than prooxidant role of ascorbate.
abstract: The dual role of ascorbate as an antioxidant and a prooxidant has been clearly documented in the literature. Ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting human serum from lipid peroxidation induced by azo dye-generated free radicals. On the other hand, ascorbate is readily oxidized in the presence of transition metal ions, (especially cupric ion) and accelerates lipid peroxidation in tissue homogenates by producing free radicals. Interestingly, we observed an antioxidant rather than an expected prooxidant role of ascorbate when human serum supplemented with 1.2mmol/L ascorbate underwent lipid peroxidations initiated by 2mmol/L copper sulfate. The antioxidant role of ascorbate was confirmed by studying the conventional thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as well as by observing the protective effect of ascorbate on the copper-induced peroxidation of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The antioxidation protection provided by ascorbate was comparable to that of equimolar alpha-tocopherol when incubated for 24h. However, lipid peroxidation products were lower in serum supplemented with alpha-tocopherol after 48h of incubation. This effect may be attributed to the binding of copper by plpha-tocopherol after serum proteins, thus preventing direct interaction between cupric ions and ascorbate. This proposed mechanism is based on the observation that the concentration of ascorbate decreased more slowly in serum than in phosphate buffer at physiological pH. Our results also indicate an outstanding anti-oxidant property of human serum due to the chelation of transition metal ions (even at high concentrations) by various serum proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, IL.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zdunek
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019327:Copper Sulfate; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D003300:Copper; D019327:Copper Sulfate; D001205:Ascorbic Acid