ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF [alpha]-LIPOIC ACID INCREASES SERUM LEVELS OF ASCORBIC ACID AND TOCOPHEROL: A PILOT HEMATOLOGICAL STUDY

The aim of this study was to determine whether oral administration of a-lipoic acid, an intrinsic antioxidant, influences the blood levels of internal ascorbic acid and tocopherol in humans. Low (200 mg/day) and high (600 mg/day) doses of a-lipoic acid were given four times a day for one month (n = 14 each). Blood was collected and hematological tests were performed before the start and after the end of administration. The levels of serum ascorbic acid and tocopherol in both groups dramatically increased (by nearly two-fold) after administration as compared to those before administration. No marked alteration in oxidative status, hepatic and renal function, or fatmetabolic parameters was observed. These results suggest that a-lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant with potential use in the treatment of several diseases associated with oxidative stress.