Vitamin C crosses the blood-brain barrier in the oxidized form through the glucose transporters Journal Article
| Authors: | Agus, D. B.; Gambhir, S. S.; Pardridge, W. M.; Spielholz, C.; Baselga, J.; Vera, J. C.; Golde, D. W. |
| Article Title: | Vitamin C crosses the blood-brain barrier in the oxidized form through the glucose transporters |
| Abstract: | Vitamin C concentrations in the brain exceed those in blood by 10-fold. In both tissues, the vitamin is present primarily in the reduced form, ascorbic acid. We identified the chemical form of vitamin C that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, and the mechanism of this process. Ascorbic acid was not able to cross the blood-brain barrier in our studies. In contrast, the oxidized form of vitamin C, dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized ascorbic acid), readily entered the brain and was retained in the brain tissue in the form of ascorbic acid. Transport of dehydroascorbic acid into the brain was inhibited by D-glucose, but not by L-glucose. The facilitative glucose transporter, GLUT1, is expressed on endothelial cells at the blood- brain barrier, and is responsible for glucose entry into the brain. This study provides evidence showing that GLUT1 also transports dehydroascorbic acid into the brain. The findings define the transport of dehydroascorbic acid by GLUT1 as a mechanism by which the brain acquires vitamin C, and point to the oxidation of ascorbic acid as a potentially important regulatory step in accumulation of the vitamin by the brain. These results have implications for increasing antioxidant potential in the central nervous system. |
| Keywords: | controlled study; nonhuman; mouse; animals; mice; animal experiment; animal model; mice, inbred balb c; time factors; endothelium cell; kinetics; brain; blood brain barrier; blood-brain barrier; hematopoiesis; rats; antioxidant; antioxidants; ascorbic acid; image processing, computer-assisted; hydrolysis; glucose transport; dehydroascorbic acid; oxidation-reduction; autoradiography; glucose transporter type 1; cell membrane transport; rats, inbred f344; nerve degeneration; capillary permeability; pentose phosphate cycle; gastrointestinal absorption; leukocyte function; deoxyglucose; monosaccharide transport proteins; vitamin metabolism; neurodegenerative disease; priority journal; article; glut1 |
| Journal Title: | Journal of Clinical Investigation |
| Volume: | 100 |
| Issue: | 11 |
| ISSN: | 0021-9738 |
| Publisher: | American Society for Clinical Investigation |
| Date Published: | 1997-12-01 |
| Start Page: | 2842 |
| End Page: | 2848 |
| Language: | English |
| PUBMED: | 9389750 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC508490 |
| DOI: | 10.1172/JCI119832 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Article -- Export Date: 17 March 2017 -- Source: Scopus |
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
Related MSK Work