Vitamin C Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vitamin C, including details on benefits, dosage, supplements, information. | ||||||||
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Vitamin C may be beneficial in the prevention of paracetamol-induced renal damage.Abraham P Department of Biochemistry, Christian Medical College, Bagayam, Vellore 632002, Tamil Nadu, India. premilaabraham@yahoo.com BACKGROUND: There is no specific treatment for paracetamol-induced renal damage. Vitamin C is an outstanding chain-breaking antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. The present study was undertaken to determine whether large doses of vitamin C are useful in the treatment of paracetamol-induced renal damage. METHODS: Renal injury was induced in rats by the administration of 1 g/kg body weight paracetamol intraperitoneally. Some rats received intraperitoneal injections of vitamin C (250, 500, or 1000 mg/kg body wt) at 1.5 h, 6 h, 9 h, or 16 h after the administration of paracetamol, and the rats were killed 24 h after the administration of paracetamol. RESULTS: Renal injury was accompanied by a decrease in nonprotein thiol and protein thiol in the kidneys of paracetamol-treated rats. The administration of vitamin C to the paracetamol-treated rats prevented renal damage either completely or partially. Lower doses of vitamin C were beneficial in the prevention of paracetamol-induced renal injury when administered early and higher doses were beneficial when administered later. In the paracetamol-treated rats that responded to vitamin C, renal nonprotein thiol level and protein thiol were restored almost completely. Interestingly, a highly significant inverse correlation was obtained between renal nonprotein thiol level and plasma creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: Megadoses of vitamin C may be beneficial in the treatment of paracetamol-induced renal damage. The mechanism of protection by vitamin C appears to be the regeneration of nonprotein thiol. Published 14 April 2005 in Clin Exp Nephrol, 9(1): 24-30.
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