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Updated: Jun 9, 2026
Intravenous Endotoxin Challenge in Healthy Humans: An Experimental Platform to Investigate and Modulate Systemic Inflammation
Published on: May 16, 2016
EPCK1, a vitamin C and E analogue, reduces endotoxin-induced systemic inflammation in mice
Chihiro Shingu1, Satoshi Hagiwara, Hideo Iwasaka
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu City, Oita, Japan. cshingu@med.oita-u.ac.jp
Background:
Phosphate ester of vitamin C and vitamin E (EPCK1), a strong antioxidant, is a water- and lipid-soluble phosphate ester of vitamin C and vitamin E. In the current study, we tested whether EPCK1 inhibits oxidative stress and prevents systemic inflammation.
Materials And Methods:
Mice were randomly divided into a negative control group, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis group, and a group treated with an intraperitoneal infusion of EPCK1 (10 mg/kg) prior to or following LPS administration. In addition, RAW 264.7 cells were treated with LPS in the presence or absence of EPCK1. We examined levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in both in vivo and in vitro experiments, and liver histopathology in the in vivo experiment.
Results:
Liver histopathology significantly improved in the EPCK1 group compared with the LPS group. Although LPS administration increased HMGB1 and nitric oxide (NO) secretion, EPCK1 decreased the secretion of these mediators in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that EPCK1 may inhibit inflammation and potentially function as a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent.
