Evaluation of vitamin C dynamics in the brain and its protection effect on neural cell system under the aging and oxidative stress load

以不具备维生素C生物合成能力的大鼠脑组织为模型，研究维生素C在脑内的动态变化及其对神经细胞的作用。在模拟衰老和氧化应激生理状态的维生素C缺乏组中，血清和外周组织中的维生素C水平显著下降，而脑组织中的水平仅有下降的趋势。这表明大脑中的维生素C是通过不同于其他组织的特定机制保留的。维生素C对PC12细胞的神经分化有促进作用，对氧化应激诱导的细胞损伤有保护作用。综上所述，这清楚地表明，维生素C是再生和保护神经细胞免受衰老和氧化应激的必要营养因素。

By using ODS rats having no ability of vitamin C biosynthesis as a human model, the vitamin C dynamics in the brain and its role on the neural cells were evaluated. In the vitamin C-deficient group which mimics the physiological state of aging and oxidative stress, the levels of vitamin C in the serum and peripheral tissues significantly decreased, whereas that in the brain only tended to decrease. This indicates that vitamin C in the brain is retained by the specific mechanism distinct from that in other tissues. Vitamin C is proved to have both a promotion effect on the neural differentiation of PC12 cells and a protection effect on the oxidative stress -induced cell damage. Taken together, it is clearly demonstrated that vitamin C is an essential nutritional factor for regenerating and protecting the neural cells from the aging and oxidative stresses.