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Vitamin C: historical perspectives and heart failure

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A Correction to this article was published on 16 November 2020

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Abstract

Vitamin C (Vit C) is an ideal antioxidant as it is easily available, water soluble, very potent, least toxic, regenerates other antioxidants particularly Vit E, and acts as a cofactor for different enzymes. It has received much attention due to its ability in limiting reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress, and nitrosative stress, as well as it helps to maintain some of the normal metabolic functions of the cell. However, over 140 clinical trials using Vit C in different pathological conditions such as myocardial infarction, gastritis, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer have yielded inconsistent results. Such a divergence calls for new strategies to establish practical significance of Vit C in heart failure or even in its prevention. For a better understanding of Vit C functioning, it is important to revisit its transport across the cell membrane and subcellular interactions. In this review, we have highlighted some historical details of Vit C and its transporters in the heart with a particular focus on heart failure in cancer chemotherapy.

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Funding

The study was supported by operating grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Molson’s Women Heart Health, and Canada Agriculture Partnership Programs. Dr. P.K. Singal is the holder of Dr. Naranjan S. Dhalla Chair in Cardiovascular Research supported by the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, University of Manitoba, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R2H 2A6, Canada

    Akshi Malik, Ashim K. Bagchi, Kartik Vinayak, Davinder S. Jassal & Pawan K. Singal

  2. University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada

    Gauri Akolkar

  3. Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute for Heart Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Jan Slezak

  4. Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Adriane Belló-Klein

  5. Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine; Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

    Davinder S. Jassal

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  1. Akshi Malik
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Malik, A., Bagchi, A.K., Vinayak, K. et al. Vitamin C: historical perspectives and heart failure. Heart Fail Rev 26, 699–709 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-020-10036-y

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