Effect of high-dose intravenous vitamin C on postpartum oxidative stress in severe preeclampsia

Korenč, Monika (author), Osredkar, Joško (author), Geršak, Ksenija (author), Kumer, Kristina (author), Fabjan, Teja (author), Šterpin, Saša (author), Lučovnik, Miha (author)

Purpose: To determine whether high-dose intravenous vitamin C reduces oxidative stress in patients with severe preeclampsia in the first days postpartum. Methods: Biomarkers of oxidative stress were assessed as secondary outcomes of a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-four patients with singleton pregnancies complicated by severe features of preeclampsia were randomized into two groups: intravenous vitamin C (1.5 g/6 h) (n = 17) or placebo (n = 17). Urinary concentrations of dityrosine, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdg), 8-isoprostane, and N epsilon-(hexanoyl) lysine (HEL) were measured at days one and three after delivery and normalized for urinary creatinine in 22 of patients included (12 in vitamin C and 10 in placebo group). The Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare values of oxidative stress biomarkers at days one and three after delivery in vitamin C vs. placebo groups (p ≤ 0.05 significant). Results: Dityrosine and 8-OHdg values did not differ significantly between the two study groups at day one after delivery (p = 0.23 and p = 0.77, respectively), but were significantly lower in the vitamin C group compared to the placebo group at day three after delivery (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively). Values of 8-isoprostane and HEL did not differ significantly between the two study groups at day one (p = 0.41 and p = 0.42, respectively), as well as at day three, after delivery (p = 0.25 and p = 0.24, respectively). Conclusion: High-dose intravenous vitamin C treatments in patients with severe preeclampsia reduced urinary levels of dityrosine and 8-OHdg (markers of protein and DNA oxidative damage, respectively) on day three after delivery. Vitamin C treatment had no significant effect on lipid peroxidation biomarkers, i.e., 8-isoprostane and HEL.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ascorbic acid, oxidative stress, preeclampsia, vitamin C
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 122-131
• Numbering: Vol. 1, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134352
• UDC: 577.16:618.3-00+612.015
• ISSN on article: 2673-3897
• DOI: 10.3390/reprodmed1020009
• COBISS.SI-ID: 27339779
• Publication date in RUL: 10.01.2022

KORENČ, Monika, OSREDKAR, Joško, GERŠAK, Ksenija, KUMER, Kristina, FABJAN, Teja, ŠTERPIN, Saša and LUČOVNIK, Miha, 2020, Effect of high-dose intravenous vitamin C on postpartum oxidative stress in severe preeclampsia. Reproductive medicine [online]. 2020. Vol. 1, no. 2, p. 122–131. [Accessed 5 April 2025]. DOI 10.3390/reprodmed1020009. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=134352

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Reproductive medicine
• Shortened title: Reprod. med.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2673-3897
• COBISS.SI-ID: 27336707

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.09.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: nosečnostna toksemija, oksidativni stres, vitamini

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: University Medical Centre Ljubljana
• Project number: 20170031/ 339 99 06 93

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0124
• Name: Metabolni in prirojeni dejavniki reproduktivnega zdravja, porod III