1 research outputs found
The antihemostatic profile of vitamin C: Mechanisms that underlie the technical application of a physiological molecule
The potential of antioxidants as tools for lowering the incidence of
diseases, including cardiovascular events, is of growing interest. Some
antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E and acetyl-salicylic acid) have been described
as effective on cardiovascular diseases with mechanisms that differ from
other scavenging agents. Currently, vitamin C is used to open occluded
long-term central venous catheters, which avoids the process of reinserting
a new one and injuring the patient. In this work, we investigated the
vitamin C antihemostatic profile by evaluating its effects on the
coagulation process. We used different assays, including prothrombin time
(PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), thrombin time (TT) and
ancrod time tests. We also examined the overall pH disturbance caused by
vitamin C at different concentrations and its effect on the
thrombin-initiated fibrin polymerization assay. Our results revealed a
significant anticoagulant activity of vitamin C at high plasma
concentrations (surpassing the normal 100 ÎŒmol/L ratio) in a
cell-independent mechanism. Our results suggest that vitamin C may affect
blood coagulation by a direct impairment of fibrin assembly and further
formation of a cohesive clot microstructure. This study supports the
literature that points to the antihemostatic ability of antioxidant agents,
and clarifies the mechanism of vitamin C in opening occluded long-term
central venous catheters