title: Intravenous ascorbic acid infusion improves myocardial perfusion grade during elective percutaneous coronary intervention: relationship with oxidative stress markers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to explore whether antioxidant vitamin C infusion is able to affect the microcirculation perfusion in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention for stable angina.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Periprocedural myocardial injury in the setting of elective percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with increased risk of death, recurrent infarction, and revascularization at follow-up. Despite excellent epicardial blood flow, impaired microcirculatory reperfusion may persist and increases the risk of vascular recurrences. Post-percutaneous coronary intervention induced-oxidative stress is one of the potential mechanisms accounting for impaired perfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six patients were enrolled in a prospective, single-center, randomized study comparing 1 g vitamin C infusion (16.6 mg/min, over 1 h before percutaneous coronary intervention) versus placebo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the baseline, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grade <2 was observed in 89% and in 86% of patients randomized to the placebo or vitamin C infusion group, respectively (p > 0.05). After percutaneous coronary intervention, these percentages decreased in the placebo group (32%) and in greater measure in the vitamin C group (4%, p < 0.01). Complete microcirculatory reperfusion (TIMI myocardial perfusion grade = 3) was achieved in 79% of the vitamin C-treated group compared with 39% of the placebo group (p < 0.01); 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (p < 0.002) and 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (p < 0.02) plasma levels significantly increased in the placebo group while they were significantly reduced in the vitamin C-treated group (p < 0.0001). TIMI myocardial perfusion grade changes from the baseline showed significant correlation with 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (p < 0.006) or 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (p < 0.01) plasma levels changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention, impaired microcirculatory reperfusion is improved by vitamin C infusion suggesting that oxidative stress is implicated in such a phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basili
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tanzilli
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mangieri
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raparelli
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Santo
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pignatelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Violi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D001205:Ascorbic Acid