Ascorbic Acid: A Potent Agent for Mitochondrial Damage Repair in H2O2 Treated Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Abstract

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) have shown an encouraging promise for cell-based treatments and regenerative medicine applications.  Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage mitochondria and are detrimental to BMSC cell viability. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a crucial ingredient that is frequently added to culture media as an antioxidant. Its role in the proliferation of BMSCs has already been studied. However, no research has been done on its effects on the ability of BMSC to regenerate mitochondrial damage. Objective: To analyze the recovery of mitochondrial damage by H2O2-induced oxidative stress with Ascorbic Acid. Methods: BMSCs were cultured and treated with H2O2 in order to induce oxidative stress. The injured BMSCs were then treated with vitamin C and their regeneration and recovery from mitochondrial damage is investigated by cell viability assays, ELISA and gene expression profiling. Recovery from oxidative damage is checked through anti-oxidative enzymes. Results: Findings showed that supplementing with vitamin C greatly enhanced cell viability and proliferation. It significantly decreased the BMSC's generation of ROS brought on by H2O2. These results imply that Ascorbic Acid may enhance the rate of proliferation and reduces apoptosis by recovering the mitochondrial damage as evidenced by the down-regulation of BAX. Conclusions: H2O2 when given to BMSC could create oxidative stress which in turn damages these cells as evidenced by their decreased cell viability. Ascorbic acid was also observed to regenerate the cells from H2O2 injury with the help of increased cells’ viability and proliferation and decreased apoptosis.