Excess ascorbate is a chemical stress agent against proteins and cells

Abstract

Excess ascorbate (as expected in intravenous treatment proposed for COVID-19 management, for example) oxidizes and/or degrades hemoglobin and albumin, as evidenced by UV-vis spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. It also degrades hemoglobin in intact blood or in isolated erythrocytes. The survival rates and metabolic activit ies of several leukocyte subsets implicated in the antiviral cellular immune response are also affected. Excess ascorbate is thus an unselective biological stress agent.