Effect of vitamin E and vitamin C combination on experimental influenza virus infection

• Published in: Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 259 - 264
• Main Authors: TANTCHEVA, L. P, STOETA, E. S, GALABOV, A. S, BRAYKOVA, A. A, SAVOV, V. M, MILEVA, M. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Barcelona Prous 01-05-2003; Prous Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Antiviral agents; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - metabolism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Influenza A virus; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Life Sciences; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Liver; Liver - enzymology; Liver - metabolism; Lung; Lung - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microbiology and Parasitology; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Mixed Function Oxygenases - metabolism; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - enzymology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - metabolism; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - metabolism; Virology; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - therapeutic use; NADPH; Oxidative stress; Intraperitoneal administration; Ascorbic acid; Vitamin; Cytochrome P-450; Lipid peroxidation; Orthomyxoviridae; E-Vitamins; Free radical; Prevention; Vitamin E; Monooxygenases; Vitamin C; Drug metabolism; Mechanism of action; Cytochrome C reductase; Drug combination; Rodentia; Antioxidant; Influenzavirus; Infection; Virus; Vertebrata; Chemotherapy; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Viral disease; Influenza virus infection
• ISSN: 0379-0355
• DOI: 10.1358/mf.2003.25.4.769673

Successful antioxidant treatment of the so-called "free radical diseases" has been reported in the literature. In this study we examined the preventive effect of vitamin E and vitamin C, alone and in combination, on the damage caused by influenza virus infection (IVI). Male mice (ICR), infected with influenza virus A/2/68/(H3N2) (1.5 of LD(50)), were administered single once-daily doses of vitamin E (60 mg/kg b.w.) and vitamin C (80 mg/kg b.w.) intraperitoneally (3 days before virus inoculation). On the 5th and 7th day, respectively, after virus inoculation, animals were decapitated. Monooxygenase enzyme activity (ethylmorphine N-demethylase, amidopyrin N-demethylase, analgin N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, cytochrome P-450 content and NADPH-cytochrome C reductase [CCR]) was determined in liver 9000 x g supernatant. Primary and secondary products of lipid peroxidation (LPO; conjugated dienes [CD] and TBA-reactive substances) were measured in blood plasma, lung and liver 9000 x g supernatant. Vitamin E effectively restored LPO-levels increased by IVI. The effect of vitamin C was similar, but slighter. The combination (vitamin E + C) had greater effect on LPO levels than their separate administration. P-450-dependent monooxygenase activity was significantly restored and more pronounced cytochrome P-450 content and NADPH-CCR activity was noted. The preventive effect of vitamin E was stronger than the effect of vitamin C, but the combination (vitamin E + C) had the strongest effect. The superior protective effect of the combination is probably due to vitamin C's repairing effect on vitamin E's tocopheroxyl radical.