title: Vitamin C prevents DNA damage induced by renovascular hypertension in multiple organs of Wistar rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate, through the single-cell gel (comet) assay, whether vitamin C is able to protect against renovascular hypertension-induced genotoxicity in multiple organs. A total of 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: negative control (n = 6); animals treated with vitamin C (n = 6); hypertensive rats (n = 10) and hypertensive rats and treated with vitamin C (n = 10). Hypertension was induced as a result of partial obstruction of the left renal artery by means of a silver clip during 6 weeks. Vitamin C was administered at 150 mg/kg during 7 consecutive days before the end of the experimental period. The results showed that vitamin C was able to protect blood cells against hypertension-induced genotoxicity. Brain, liver and heart cells were also protected by vitamin C following hypertension-induced genotoxic damage. Regarding blood pressure, vitamin C reduced the hypertensive state. In conclusion, our results suggest that vitamin C can prevent hypertension-induced DNA damage in blood, liver, brain and heart cells as well as to normalize the blood pressure of rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Division, Paulista Medical School, Federal University of Sao Paulo, UNIFESP, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erika Emy
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: Ruy Ribeiro
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Cassia Toledo
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Bergamaschi
authors.forename: Vitor Rossi
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Daniel Araki
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000009:adverse effects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001205:Ascorbic Acid