Ascorbic acid inhibits vascular remodeling induced by mental stress in overweight/obese men

Mental stress (MS) is related to endothelial dysfunction in overweight/obese men. It is believed that the pro-oxidant profile, associated with an imbalance in the vascular remodeling process, may contribute to deleterious effects of MS on endothelial function. However, it is unknown whether administration of ascorbic acid (AA), a potent antioxidant, can prevent oxidative and remodeling dysfunction during MS in these subjects.

Fourteen overweight/obese grade I men (27 ± 7 years; 29.7 ± 2.6 kg·m^-2) underwent the Stroop Color Word Test for 5 min to induce MS after AA (3 g) or placebo (PL, 0.9% NaCl) intravenous infusions. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and the last minute of MS to measure nitrite concentration (chemiluminescence), protein carbonylation, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and catalase activity (colorimetric assays), superoxide dismutase (SOD; immunoenzymatic assay), activities of active/inactive (pro) forms of metalloproteinases-9 and -2 (MMP; zymography) and its respective tissue inhibitors concentration (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2; immunoenzymatic assays).

At baseline, MMP-9 activity (p < 0.01), the MMP-9/proMMP-9 ratio (p = 0.02) and TIMP-1 concentration (p = 0.05) were reduced, whereas proMPP-9 activity was increased (p = 0.02) after AA compared to PL infusion. After PL infusion, MS increased protein carbonylation (p < 0.01), catalase (p < 0.01), and the MMP-9/proMMP-9 ratio (p = 0.04) when compared to baseline. AA infusion reduced protein carbonylation (p = 0.02), MMP-9 activity (p < 0.01), and MMP-9/pro-MMP-9 ratio (p < 0.01), while SOD (p = 0.04 vs baseline), proMPP-9 (p < 0.01 vs PL), MMP-2 (p < 0.01 vs PL) and TIMP-2 (p = 0.02 vs baseline) remained elevated during MS.

AA appears to minimize the oxidative imbalance and vascular remodeling induced by MS.