Ascorbic Acid and Gene Expression

Data on ascorbic acid modulation of gene expression have only been obtained at the level of transcription, and thus more work at the level of interaction of ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid signal transducing systems with DNA molecules is clearly needed to prove the direct involvement of ascorbic acid in gene expression. The recent advances in molecular techniques will facilitate the isolation and characterization of more genes associated with ascorbic acid-dependent biological pro-... 

Taylor R, Varner JE. Ascorbic acid location by tissue printing on nitrocellulose, in Tissue Printing Toolsfor the Study of Anatomy, Histochemistry, and Gene Expression (Reid P, Pont-Lezica R, del Campillo E, Taylor R, eds.), Academic Press, New York, 1992, pp. 163-164. 

ADPGPP genes, expression of, 72 492 Adrenal glands, ascorbic acid and,... 

Mooradian AD, Haas MJ, Wadud K. Ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol down-regulate apolipoprotein A-I gene expression in HepG2 and Caco-2 cell lines. Metabolism. 2006, 55 159-167. 

Hering, T. M., Kollar, J., Huynh, T. D., Varelas, J. B., and Sandell, L. J., 1994, Modulation of extracellular matrix gene expression in bovine high-density chondrocyte cultures by ascorbic acid and enzymatic resuspension. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 314 90-98. 

Very fundamental involvements of ascorbic acid have been presented, such as its role in the regulation of gene expression or in cell growth and tissue culture. For example, the effects of ascorbic acid on the expression of type I and X collagen genes have been considered. Interactions between ascorbic acid and other redox active micronutrients (vitamin E and selenium) have been discussed. An understanding of the fundamental roles of ascorbic acid will provide a rationale for the biomedical implications of this essential nutrient. 

Connective tissue in the vascular system plays an important role in maintenance of the intact vascular wall. Vitamins E and C influence the extracellular matrix (ECM) by their antioxidant functions. They bind to specific enzymes and act as cofactors and regulators with consequent modulation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) signal transduction and gene expression. The ability of vitamins E and C to influence VSMC proliferation, differentiation, and ECM production is important in the maintenance of intact vascular wall and in the repair of atherosclerotic lesions. Actively proliferating cells, but not quiescent cells, are susceptible to ascorbic acid, which inhibits cell division and promotes necrosis through its action on S-phase progression. 

Chojkier, M., Houghim, K., Solis-Hemizo, J. and Brenner, D.A. (1989). Stimulation of collagen gene expression by ascorbic acid in cultured human fibroblasts A role for lipid peroxidation J. Biol. Chem. 264, 16957-16962. 

NT196 Ueta, E., Y. Tadokoro, T. Yamamoto, et al. The effect of cigarette smoke exposure and ascorbic acid intake on gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and other related enzymes in the livers and lungs of Shionogi rats with osteogenic disorders. Toxicol Sci 2003 73(2) 339-347. 

Ascorbic acid stimulates proliferation of rabbit chondrocytes at high cell density, chick embryo and bovine articular chondrocytes, and rabbit cartilage explants. Although evidence suggests that ascorbic acid treatment does not directly stimulate transcription of ECM products, cultured chondrocytes undergo changes in gene expression characteristic of hypertrophy. 

It has been known for some years that ascorbic acid stimulates collagen gene expression and collagen synthesis in cultured fibroblasts [83] and, more recently, it has become clear that this effect is related to the ability of ascorbic acid to induce lipid peroxidation in the presence of iron ions, with the formation of reactive aldehydes [84],... 

Seitz G, Gebhardt S, Beck JF, Bohm W, Lode HN, Niethammer D, and Bruchelt G (1998) Ascorbic acid stimulates DOPA synthesis and tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH. Neuroscience Letters 244,33-6. 

Horio, F., Shibata, T., Makino, S., Machino, S., Hayashi, Y., Hattori, T., and Yoshida, A., 1993a, UDP glucuronosyltransferase gene expression is involved in the stimulation of ascorbic acid biosynthesis by xenobiotics in rats, J. Nutr. 123 2075-2084. 

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