title: Vitamin C modulates the metabolic and cytokine profiles, alleviates hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress, and increases the life span of Gulo-/- mice.
abstract: Suboptimal intake of dietary vitamin C (ascorbate) increases the risk of several chronic diseases but the exact metabolic pathways affected are still unknown. In this study, we examined the metabolic profile of mice lacking the enzyme gulonolactone oxidase (Gulo) required for the biosynthesis of ascorbate. Gulo-/- mice were supplemented with 0%, 0.01%, and 0.4% ascorbate (w/v) in drinking water and serum was collected for metabolite measurements by targeted mass spectrometry. We also quantified 42 serum cytokines and examined the levels of different stress markers in liver. The metabolic profiles of Gulo-/- mice treated with ascorbate were different from untreated Gulo-/- and normal wild type mice. The cytokine profiles of Gulo-/-mice, in return, overlapped the profile of wild type animals upon 0.01% or 0.4% vitamin C supplementation. The life span of Gulo-/- mice increased with the amount of ascorbate in drinking water. It also correlated significantly with the ratios of serum arginine/lysine, tyrosine/phenylalanine, and the ratio of specific species of saturated/unsaturated phosphatidylcholines. Finally, levels of hepatic phosphorylated endoplasmic reticulum associated stress markers IRE1α and eIF2α correlated inversely with serum ascorbate and life span suggesting that vitamin C modulates endoplasmic reticulum stress response and longevity in Gulo-/- mice.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aumailley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Aging and ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garand
authors.affiliation: Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie Julie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université Laval, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Aging and ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
authors.affiliation: Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marette
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Aging and ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cogger
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebel
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D050544:L-Gulonolactone Oxidase / Q000235:genetics; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood; D055442:Metabolome; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C103652:Elf2 protein, mouse; D006728:Hormones; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050544:L-Gulonolactone Oxidase; C510185:Ern1 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: aging; endoplasmic reticulum stress; gulonolactone oxidase; inflammation; metabolomic; vitamin C