ascorbic-acid and Chlamydia-Infections

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of cervicitis.. The aim of this randomised, double-blind trial was to compare the effect of vitamin C on dyspareunia and vaginal discharge in women receiving doxycycline and triple sulfa for chlamydial cervicitis.. Eighty women with increased anti-C. trachomatis IgM, reporting abnormal vaginal discharge and dyspareunia, demonstrating signs of cervical oedema and erythema and friability of cervix were included. Thirty-nine women received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice daily plus triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily for ten days, and 41 received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice-daily and triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily plus vitamin C tablets 250 mg once daily for ten days. Women were evaluated at follow-up visit, eleventh day, following completion of intervention.. The effect of treatment was assessed regarding clinical criteria (presence of endocervical mucopus and cervical severity score) and presence of dyspareunia. Statistical analysis was carried out using spss version 11.5.. The mean age of women was 30.6 +/- 8.4 years. There was no relationship between demographics and dyspareunia and discharge (P > 0.05). There was statistically significant difference between the effect of 'doxycycline plus triple sulfa' and 'doxycycline, triple sulfa plus vitamin C' on discharge and dyspareunia (P = 0.005, P < 0.001, respectively). Most frequently reported drug-related adverse event in both groups was heartburn.. Adding vitamin C to doxycycline and triple sulfa was more efficient than standard regimen (doxycycline and triple sulfa without vitamin C) in treating chlamydial cervicitis.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Chlamydia Infections; Double-Blind Method; Doxycycline; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspareunia; Female; Humans; Sulfadiazine; Sulfamerazine; Sulfamethazine; Uterine Cervicitis; Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies; Vaginal Discharge; Young Adult

Despite an efficient macrophage immune capability, Chlamydia pneumoniae infects host cells and causes chronic diseases. To gain better insights into C. pneumoniae survival mechanisms in macrophages, its growth in regular RAW-264.7 cells (nitric oxide sufficient NO (+)) and RAW-264.7 cells (nitric oxide insufficient NO (-)) were studied.. Role of Ca(2+), NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS) during C. pneumoniae infection in macrophages were determined.. RAW-264.7 NO (-) cells supported significantly Chlamydia growth, showing an upregulation of ROS, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities as compared with RAW-264.7 NO (+) cell. Ascorbic acid, inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and glutathione significantly prompted Chlamydia inclusion formation. Cytosolic Ca(2+) had regulatory effect on organism growth, NO generation, SOD and catalase activities in both cell types.. These findings suggest that minimal Ca(2+) signaling in macrophages at early stages of infection, NO and ROS release have modulatory effects onC. pneumoniae survival, onset of persistence and chronicity, processes which are needed for the initiation of diseases in which C. pneumoniae has been implicated as a possible etiologic agent.

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Calcium; Catalase; Cell Survival; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydophila pneumoniae; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glutathione; Macrophages; Mice; omega-N-Methylarginine; Reactive Nitrogen Species; Reactive Oxygen Species; Superoxide Dismutase; Up-Regulation

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular pathogens that cause many diseases for which the pathogenic mechanisms are largely unknown. Because reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in pathogenesis of many viral and bacterial infections, the authors assessed the release of ROS in selected host cells (monocytes, Sup-T1 cells, and Hep-2 cells) infected with Chlamydia trachomatis.. Infected cell cultures demonstrated a dramatic depletion of uric acid from culture media that was not seen in uninfected cultures. Reactive oxygen species generated in infected cultures were associated with the formation of lipid peroxides in host cell membrane.. There was a significant increase in lipid peroxide levels in infected cells compared to uninfected controls. Ascorbic acid treatment of infected cell cultures reduced the formation of membrane lipid peroxides.. These results suggest that ROS produced during chlamydial replication cause membrane lipid peroxidation. The role of ROS-induced membrane damage in chlamydial pathogenesis is discussed.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Cell Membrane; Cells, Cultured; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Culture Media; Humans; Lipid Peroxides; Membrane Lipids; Monocytes; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Two hundred and eighty-eight samples of patients with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and prostatitis were detected by cell culture and immunofluorescence assay for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and the effects of ascorbic acid(vitC) on the formation rate of inclusion of CT in positive samples were also studied. The results showed that the formation rate of inclusion of CT was 29.5% when the concentration of vitC was 5 micrograms.ml-1. The difference between test group and control group which contained cycloheximide in the media was insignificant (P > 0.05). The results suggested that vitC was a kind of nutrient needed for CT. The proliferation of CT in the cell can be promoted by vitC. We can replace cycloheximide by vitC in McCoy cell culture to detect clinic samples with CT.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ascorbic Acid; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Female; Humans; Inclusion Bodies; Male; Middle Aged; Prostatitis; Urethritis; Uterine Cervicitis

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an essential nutrient for humans. It may also be needed by Chlamydia trachomatis, an intracellular bacterium. We investigated the effects of vitamin C on the growth of C. trachomatis E/UW-5/Cx in a primary culture of human amniotic epithelial cells. The results showed that vitamin C enhances C. trachomatis infection at concentrations of 0.2, 0.6, and 1.2 mg/dl (P less than 0.001). These three concentrations represent the in vivo concentrations of deficiency, normal, and overload levels in serum, respectively. The enhancement was dose dependent. However, the growth of C. trachomatis was inhibited at vitamin C concentrations of 120 and 1,200 mg/dl. The inhibitory effect of erythromycin against C. trachomatis was shown to be reduced in the presence of vitamin C at the three concentrations tested (P less than 0.025-0.001), and MICs were four times greater (1.6 versus 0.4 micrograms/ml). Human amniotic cells were tolerant to vitamin C concentrations of up to 1,200 mg/dl. The results show that vitamin C may be an important nutrient for C. trachomatis and that incorporation of vitamin C in the culture medium may enhance the isolation and propagation of C. trachomatis in cell cultures.

Topics: Amnion; Ascorbic Acid; Cells, Cultured; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Drug Interactions; Erythromycin; Humans

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Balneology; Child; Chlamydia Infections; Hepatitis; Hepatitis A; Humans; Hyperbilirubinemia; Liver Function Tests; Vitamin A; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin D