Vitamin C may be beneficial in the prevention of paracetamol-induced renal damage

• DOI: 10.1007/s10157-004-0335-6
• Publication Date: 2005-04-12T17:36:33Z
• Authors: Premila Abraham
• Keywords: Male; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ascorbic Acid; Free Radical Scavengers; Kidney; Antioxidants; Rats; 3. Good health; Survival Rate; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Creatinine; Animals; Kidney Diseases; Sulfhydryl Compounds; Rats, Wistar; Acetaminophen

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.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.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.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.