title: Ascorbic acid spares alpha-tocopherol and decreases lipid peroxidation in neuronal cells.
abstract: Ascorbic acid is considered an antioxidant in the central nervous system, but direct evidence that ascorbate protects neuronal cells from oxidant stress is lacking. Differentiated SH-SY5Y cells in culture took up ascorbic acid on the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter Type 2 and retained it much more effectively than dehydroascorbic acid. Intracellular ascorbate spared alpha-tocopherol, both in cells loaded with alpha-tocopherol in culture and in cells under oxidant stress due to extracellular ferricyanide. Sparing of alpha-tocopherol in response to ferricyanide was associated with protection against lipid peroxidation in cell membranes. These results show that neuronal cells concentrate ascorbate, and that intracellular ascorbate, either directly or through sparing of alpha-tocopherol, protects them against oxidant stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 715 Preston Research Building II, 2220 Pierce Ave., Nashville, TN 37232-6303, USA.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: May
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002460:Cell Line; D019610:Cytoprotection; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005292:Ferricyanides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005292:Ferricyanides; C007931:hexacyanoferrate III; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid