Antioxidant supplementation enhances antioxidant capacity and mitigates oxidative damage following acute ischaemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether supplementary antioxidants immediately following acute ischaemic stroke will enhance antioxidant capacity and mitigate oxidative damage.

METHODS

A randomised controlled trial.

METHODS

A university teaching hospital.

METHODS

A total of 48 acute ischaemic stroke patients within 12 h of symptom onset.

METHODS

Daily oral 800 IU (727 mg) of alpha-tocopherol and 500 mg of vitamin C (n = 24), or no treatment (n = 24) for 14 days. Treatment group and controls were matched for stroke subtype and age.

METHODS

alpha-Tocopherol, ascorbic acid, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) before treatment, at day 7 and day 14 following recruitment.

RESULTS

In all, 14 days of vitamin supplementation significantly improved plasma alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic concentrations in the treatment group compared with the decrease seen in the control group (P < 0.005 for difference in cumulative changes). TAOC increased significantly in the treatment group compared with controls (P < 0.003). There was a significant reduction in plasma MDA concentration in the treatment group, in contrast to the increase seen in the control group (P < 0.002). After adjusting for clinical complications CRP concentrations within 90 days postinfarct were significantly lower in the treatment group compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Supplementation with antioxidant vitamins within 12 h of onset of acute ischaemic stroke increased antioxidant capacity, reduced lipid peroxidation products and may have an anti-inflammatory effect.

BACKGROUND

Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.