Summary: One of the first studies of its kind shows that a high dose of sodium ascorbate, a salt related to vitamin C, can help protect the brain and reduce inflammation, ischemia, and hypoxia in those experiencing brain sepsis. In the study, researchers found that this therapy may rapidly help reverse brain sepsis.
Science has long been experimenting with alternative treatments for countering severe infections. These approaches differ from traditional approaches that focus significantly on multi-antibiotic therapy in severe infections. A new study shows that one of the vitamin C salts can quickly reverse brain sepsis and may be lifesaving.
There are many issues with the traditional approach that focuses on increased antibiotic use. For example, many infections are resistant to antibiotics. Further, multi-antibiotic-resistant infections are rising. Moreover, antibiotics are not of much use in viral infections. Not to mention that many might have infections due to multiple pathogens.
Certain infections, like brain infections, are particularly challenging to treat since even if the infection is sensitive to the infection, most antibiotics fail to cross the blood-brain barrier in sufficient amounts. This means that antibiotic concentration remains low in the brain. That is why brain sepsis is so challenging to manage.
However, there is more to managing sepsis than eradicating infections alone. It is a well-known fact that much damage occurs due to hyper-inflammatory response to the infections, causing sepsis shock.
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Thus, the aim of any treatment is not just to eradicate infection but also to prevent septic shock. For example, one of the approaches is using corticosteroids in severely ill patients. However, corticosteroids also lower immunity and increase the risk of secondary or opportunistic infections. So, their use is a dual-edged sword.
Interventional pain management techniques are important in treating the severe inflammation and tissue damage that comes with brain sepsis. However, now the new study shows that vitamin C’s salt sodium ascorbate may be quite good for overcoming this hyper-inflammatory response. Researchers say that when they tested it in lab experiments, they were amazed by how well and quickly it worked without causing any side effects. Thus, it could prevent brain ischemia, hypoxia, and brain cell death. The results were astonishing in the intervention group.
In the study, researchers induced brain sepsis in an animal model using E. coli infusion. Once the animal developed brain sepsis, they used mega dosages of sodium ascorbate to resuscitate the animal. These mega dosages of sodium ascorbate significantly reduced inflammatory markers beyond researchers’ expectations, resulting in animal recovery.
This is not the first study in this direction. Therapies using vitamin C mega dosages have long been a focus of different experiments. For example, early studies show that vitamin C mega dosages may help overcome certain types of cancers.
When vitamin C is taken orally, it is known to reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and counter oxidative stress. However, when taken orally, not much vitamin C is absorbed. Although the body has vitamin C stores, they are quickly depleted during periods of severe infections.
So, in such cases, vitamin C infusion may do wonders, as it can not just immediately restore its levels, but its mega dosages may result in some unique health benefits. It may suppress inflammation in a way not seen with its regular dosages.
Investigators of the present study say that they have known that high doses of vitamin C are beneficial in sepsis and are protective for the liver and kidneys. However, this is the first study to show that it can also be good for brain sepsis patients.
Source:
May, C. N., Ow, C. P., Pustovit, R. V., Lane, D. J., Jufar, A. H., Trask-Marino, A., Peiris, R. M., Gunn, A., Booth, L. C., Plummer, M. P., Bellomo, R., & Lankadeva, Y. R. (2024). Reversal of cerebral ischemia and hypoxia and of sickness behavior by megadose sodium ascorbate in ovine Gram-negative sepsis. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 133(2), 316–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2024.04.058