Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
J Nutr Biochem. 2020 Nov;85:108459. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108459. Epub 2020 Jul 3.
Stress-related disorders, such as depression and anxiety, present marked deficits in behavioral and cognitive functions related to reward. These are highly prevalent disabling conditions with high social and economic costs. Furthermore, a significant percentage of affected individuals cannot benefit from clinical intervention, opening space for new treatments. Although the literature data have reported limited and variable results regarding oxidative stress-related endpoints in stress-related disorders, the possible neuroprotective effect of antioxidant compounds, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), emerges as a possible therapy strategy for psychiatric diseases. Here, we briefly present background information on biological activity of ascorbic acid, particularly functions related to the CNS homeostasis. Additionaly, we reviewed the available information on the role of ascorbic acid in stress-related diseases, focusing on supplementation and depletion studies. The vitamin C deficiency is widely associated to stress-related diseases. Although the efficacy of this vitamin in anxiety spectrum disorders is less stablished, several studies showed that ascorbic acid supplementation produces antidepressant effect and improves mood. Interestingly, the modulation of monoaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems is postulated as pivotal target for the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of this vitamin. Given that ascorbic acid supplementation produces fast therapeutic response with low toxicity and high tolerance, it can be considered as a putative candidate for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, especially those that are refractory to current treatments. Herein, the literature was reviewed considering the potential use of ascorbic acid as an adjuvant in the treatment of anxiety and depression.
应激相关障碍，如抑郁和焦虑，表现出与奖励相关的行为和认知功能明显缺陷。这些疾病高发且致残，社会和经济成本高。此外，相当一部分受影响的个体无法从临床干预中受益，为新的治疗方法提供了空间。尽管文献数据报告了应激相关障碍中与氧化应激相关的终点的有限和可变结果，但抗氧化化合物（如抗坏血酸（维生素 C））的可能神经保护作用，作为精神疾病的可能治疗策略出现。在这里，我们简要介绍了抗坏血酸的生物学活性的背景信息，特别是与中枢神经系统内稳态相关的功能。此外，我们综述了抗坏血酸在应激相关疾病中的作用的现有信息，重点是补充和消耗研究。维生素 C 缺乏与应激相关疾病广泛相关。尽管这种维生素在焦虑症谱障碍中的疗效尚未确定，但多项研究表明，抗坏血酸补充剂具有抗抑郁作用并改善情绪。有趣的是，调节单胺能和谷氨酸能神经递质系统被假定为这种维生素的抗抑郁和抗焦虑作用的关键靶点。鉴于抗坏血酸补充剂具有快速治疗反应、低毒性和高耐受性，因此可以考虑将其作为治疗情绪和焦虑障碍的候选药物，特别是那些对现有治疗方法耐药的疾病。本文综述了考虑抗坏血酸作为焦虑和抑郁辅助治疗的潜在用途的文献。
