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Dietary vitamin C down-regulates inflammatory gene expression in apoE4 smokers.

Majewicz J, Rimbach G, Proteggente AR, Lodge JK, Kraemer K, Minihane AM

Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.

The deleterious impact of cigarette smoking on cardiovascular health may be in part attributable to a free radical mediated proinflammatory response in circulating monocytes. In the current investigation, the impact of vitamin C supplementation on monocyte gene expression was determined in apoE4 smokers versus non-smokers. A total of 10 smokers and 11 non-smokers consumed 60mg/day of vitamin C for four weeks and a fasting blood sample was taken at baseline and post-intervention for the determination of plasma vitamin C and monocyte gene expression profiles using cDNA array and real time PCR. In apoE4 smokers, supplementation resulted in a 43% increase in plasma vitamin C concentrations. Furthermore, a number of genes were differentially expressed more than 2-fold in response to treatment, including a downregulation of the proinflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor (TNF) beta, TNF receptor, neurotrophin-3 growth factor receptor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 receptor. The study has identified a number of molecular mechanisms underlying the benefit of vitamin C supplementation in smokers.

Published 15 November 2005 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 338(2): 951-5.
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