A “megadose” of a salt based on vitamin C Sepsis could reverse the extensive damage it can cause in the brain, according to a new study that looked at its effects on sheep.
Caused by the body’s overreaction to an infection, sepsis can damage vital organs, cause cognitive impairment and disability, and in the worst case, be fatal.
In the most extreme cases of sepsis, called septic shockplasma vitamin C levels are severely reducedResearchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia then decided to test animals with high doses of sodium ascorbate, a salt of this vitamin. The changes observed during these experiments were considerable.
“I have never seen such a dramatic response to treatment as occurred after intravenous administration of a megadose of sodium ascorbate to our clinically relevant large animal model of sepsis,” said Cardiovascular physiologist Clive May.
Sepsis causes significant damage to the brain. frontal cortexwhere body movement, speech, and emotional expression are controlled. With dramatic reductions in oxygen levels and blood flow to this area of the nervous system, local temperatures skyrocket, which can lead to persistent, difficult-to-treat cognitive difficulties, delirium, and even coma.
The team’s analyses confirmed their suspicions that sodium ascorbate can reverse all of these trends. Although the biological mechanisms are not yet elucidated, plasma vitamin C levels increased and the treatment’s effectiveness was remarkable.
When observing the animals with induced sepsis before the megadose, the sheep were “lethargic, unresponsive, lying down and not eating or drinking,” May said. explain.
That quickly changed.
“Within an hour of administering the intravenous formulation, they were more alert, and after four hours they had completely returned to their normal behavioral state,” said Can.
“They got up, responded to external stimuli, and began eating and drinking. All of these changes suggest a beneficial effect of the treatment on the brain.”
Vitamin C is well known as be anti-inflammatory and able to help regulate the body’s immune system, and it appears that this is partly at play here.
The next step is to see if the same dramatic effect occurs in humans as well as sheep, and to determine what amount of sodium ascorbate might constitute a safe dose – a dose that can provide all of these benefits without creating new problems.
Vitamin C has already been tested as a treatment for sepsis in clinical trials, but results have been mixed across studies. This new study could bring us closer to finding a treatment that works for everyone.
The researchers conducted a small study, early stage clinical trial sodium ascorbate as a treatment for sepsis, and other phases are in progress.
“We have already shown that sodium ascorbate has beneficial effects on the kidneys and the cardiovascular system in septic patients,” said neuroscientist Yugeesh Lankadeva.
“This latest study shows that it is also beneficial for the brain.”
The research was published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.