13C NMR evidence of the failure of human erythrocytes to metabolize ascorbate and dehydroascorbate to lactate.

13C-NMR spectroscopy was used to record time courses of the metabolism of [1-(13)C]-L-ascorbic acid (AA) and [2-(13)C]-L-ascorbic acid and their dehydro-counterparts (DHAA) by human erythrocytes. Under a range of experimental conditions, but most notably in the absence of glucose in the incubation medium, no (13)C-NMR signal for lactate emerged during any of the 5 h time courses. The NMR resonances that did emerge over time were assigned to diketogulonic (DKG) acid and CO(2). Only very minor resonances from degradation products of DKG appeared from samples that contained physiologically high concentrations of DHAA. These results are in contrast with those in a recent report that lactate is derived from AA in human erythrocytes. However, an explanation for this possible artifact is given.

13C NMR studies of vitamin C transport and its redox cycling in human erythrocytes.

13C NMR spectra of labeled [1-13C]- and [2-13C]ascorbic acid were seen to contain resonances arising from the intra- and extracellular populations in suspensions of human erythrocytes; i.e., they displayed the "split-peak" phenomenon. This new observation enabled the ready determination of the location, whether inside or outside cells, of the redox reactions in which the vitamin C was involved and to monitor the transport of the compounds into and out of the cells. Thus, the membrane permeability of ascorbic acid and the apparent Vmax and KM for the reduction of dehydroascorbic acid were determined in a noninvasive manner. In contrast to other work, evidence was found of a transporter of dehydroascorbic acid which is different from the glucose transporter. This transport system also appeared to be involved in the simultaneous reduction of dehydroascorbic acid on its passage into the cells. A second reduction process appeared to occur extracellularly, by the passage of reducing equivalents through the plasma membrane, as occurs with the reduction of ferricyanide. Evidence is presented that the processes of vitamin C recycling rely on different cellular sources of reducing equivalents. Whereas the transport and reduction via the membrane appeared to be dependent on glycolysis (NADH), the reduction of intracellular dehydroascorbic acid, formed in the process of transmembrane electron transfer or by transport from the outside of the cell, is currently thought to depend on NADPH.