DOI: 10.5176/2251-3833_GHC18.127
Authors: Kritsanawan Sae-khow, Nattachai Srisawat and Asada Leelahavanichkul and Direkrit Chiewchengchol
Abstract: Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells in human circulation and play an important role during infection. They are the first cells to be recruited at the site of infection and eliminate invading pathogens by the mechanism of phagocytosis. However, neutrophil extracellular traps or NETs (a form of neutrophil-specific cell death) are another important mechanism of neutrophils used to trap and kill pathogens. NETs are characterized by a combination of decondensed chromatin and antimicrobial peptides released into the extracellular space. Interestingly, vitamin C (ascorbate) is a micronutrient predominantly stored inside neutrophils and it is essential for neutrophil functions such as phagocytosis, chemotaxis, apoptosis, etc. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether NET formation was induced after vitamin C stimulation in vitro. The different concentrations of ascorbate (4, 10 and 40 mM) were added in isolated neutrophils from healthy volunteers and septic patients. The results showed that the formation of NETs was increased after vitamin C stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. We concluded that high dose vitamin C (40 mM) could potentially be used for further study as an adjunctive therapy in patients with serious infection (e.g. sepsis).
Keywords: Neutrophil, Sepsis, Vitamin C, Ascorbate, Neutrophil extracellular traps
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