Antioxidant supplementation partially protects against myocardial mitochondrial ischemia/reperfusion injury, but ascorbate in the perfusate prevented the beneficial effect.

This study was undertaken to investigate whether prior antioxidant supplementation had a beneficial effect on subsequent myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury and whether addition of ascorbate during ischemia/reperfusion had any effect. Supplementation with antioxidants resulted in elevated concentrations of myocardial alpha-tocopherol, but not of ascorbate. Combined supplementation with alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid gave the highest myocardial alpha-tocopherol concentration. Hearts of rats supplemented with antioxidants was partially protected to ischemia/reperfusion as indicated by the mitochondrial function. However, addition of ascorbate during ischemia/reperfusion nullified this protective effect.