Alpha-Lipoic Acid Ameliorates Oxidative Stress by Increasing Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 Activity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Ameliorates Oxidative Stress by Increasing Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 Activity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

RUI-JIAN LI,¹ WEN-QING JI,^1,2 JIAO-JIAO PANG,^1,2 JIA-LI WANG,¹ YU-GUO CHEN^1,2 and YUN ZHANG^2,3

¹Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
²Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research affiliated to Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
³Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China

Aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) is the main enzyme responsible for acetaldehyde oxidation in ethanol metabolism and also provides protection against oxidative stress. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA), a natural dithiol compound with antioxidant properties, has been reported to increase ALDH2 activity in cultured cells. We analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of α-LA in 63 patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome (ACS). These patients (52 men and 11 women, with age range 49-72 years) were randomized into two groups: untreated group (n = 30) and α-LA group (n = 33). Patients in the α-LA group were given an intravenous injection of 600 mg α-LA every day for 5 days while the patients in the untreated group were given saline. An isoprostane, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α), one product of arachidonic acid metabolism, was measured as a marker for oxidative stress. The serum levels of 8-iso-PGF2α and ALDH2 activity were determined at admission to the hospital (time 0), and at 24 hours and 1 week after treatment. At 24 hours and 1 week after treatment, ALDH2 activity was significantly higher in the α-LA group than in the untreated group (P < 0.05), whereas the levels of 8-iso-PGF2α were significantly lower in the α-LA group than in the untreated group (all P < 0.05). Importantly, the decrease of 8-iso-PGF2α levels correlated with the increased ALDH2 activity at both 24 hours (r = 0.6234, P < 0.001) and 1 week after treatment (r = −0.3941, P = 0.0014). α-LA may ameliorate oxidative stress through up-regulating ALDH2 activity in patients with ACS.

keywords —— acute coronary syndrome; aldehyde dehydrogenase-2; alpha lipoic acid; antioxidant; oxidative stress

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2013, 229, 45-51

Correspondence: Yu-Guo Chen, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, 107# Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shangdong 250012, P.R. China.

e-mail: chen82169307@163.com