Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Collagen and Some Inflammatory Mediators in Rats

Musculoskeletal injuries as a kind of traumas that the human body is exposed to, adversely affect the quality of life and workforce of individuals due to restriction of movement function. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of dose-dependent ascorbic acid administration on the repair process after gastrocnemius muscle injury in rats. In this study, 5-month-old 66 male Wistar Albino rats were used and rats were randomized to 6 groups (n = 11/group). A linear incision was made in the gastrocnemius muscle of thirty-three animals included in the muscle injury groups. Ascorbic acid (5-10 mg/kg/day) was administered to the four groups intraperitoneally just after surgery once a day. Animals were sacrificed twenty-one days later. Blood and tissue samples were used for cytokine, collagen, and histological measurements. It was found that ascorbic acid reduced serum IL-6 and muscle tissue TNF-α levels, and increased liver tissue IL-10 levels. Muscle tissue collagen levels were not statistically different between the groups in parallel with our histological results. In our study, it was demonstrated that vitamin C has effects on inflammatory mediators during muscle tissue repair to explain mechanism detailed molecular analyzes are needed.