Vitamin C ameliorated cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic rats

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C (VC) is a common antioxidant with cell protection potentials. However, its possible protective effect on cardiac autonomic nerves from diabetic induced insults is yet to be explored. AIM: To investigate the effects of VC on diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy. METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats were equally grouped into control, diabetic and diabetic + VC. Type 2 diabetes was induced with fructose diet and alloxan. VC (1 g/kg) was administered for 4 wk via oral canula. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured non-invasively using tail flick blood pressure monitor. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was used to assess cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Blood was collected from the ocular sinus for biochemical analysis. Urethane (1 g/kg-ip) was used for anaesthesia prior to HRV and cervical dislocation to harvest hearts. Intracardiac autonomic nerve was assessed using tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry on fixed heart sections. RESULTS: Results were analysed using ANOVA at α(0.05.) Unlike VC and control groups, diabetic rats showed significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced HRV, increased heart-rate and blood pressure, initial increase in cardiac tyrosine hydroxylase activities at week-2 and sparse activity at week-4 of diabetes. Furthermore, apolipoprotein B, Oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were significantly (P < 0.01) reduced in VC treated rats. CONCLUSION: VC possesses cardio-autonomic nerve protective potential and ameliorates the symptoms of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes. The possible mechanisms via which VC exert these effects may be via downregulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and apolipoprotein B.