title: Effect of one-year vitamin C- and E-supplementation on cerebrospinal fluid oxidation parameters and clinical course in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Antioxidant vitamins are being widely discussed as a therapeutic option in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently found that supplementation with vitamin C and E over 1 month leads to an increase of their levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and a reduction of CSF lipid peroxidation. In the present study, we followed-up the biochemical and clinical effect of vitamin C and E supplementation in an open clinical trial over 1 year. Twelve AD patients stably taking a cholinesterase inhibitor were supplemented with vitamin C (1,000 mg/day) and E (400 I.U./day), while 11 patients taking cholinergic medication only served as a control group. Cognition was assessed at baseline, after 6 months and 12 months using the Mini-Mental State Examination; a more detailed testing of cognitive function was performed at baseline and after 12 months. From eight of the vitamin-supplemented patients, CSF was taken at baseline, after 1 month and after 1 year to measure the antioxidant effect of vitamin supplementation on CSF lipids using a recently established in vitro oxidation assay. CSF antioxidant vitamins were significantly increased after 1 month and 1 year of supplementation, while in vitro oxidation of CSF lipids was significantly reduced only after 1 year of the supplementation. The clinical course of AD did not significantly differ between the vitamin and the control group. We conclude that supplementation with vitamins E and C did not have a significant effect on the course of AD over 1 year despite of a limited antioxidant effect that could be observed in CSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. arlt@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Sönke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arlt
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müller-Thomsen
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Beisiegel
authors.forename: Anatol
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kontush
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid