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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #234018
Title: EDTA Chelation Therapy, Without Added Vitamin C, Decreases Oxidative DNA Damage and Lipid Peroxidation

Author
item ROUSSEL, ANNE - GRENOBLE, FRANCE
item HININGER, ISABELLE - GRENOBLE, FRANCE
item WATERS, ROBERT - WISCONSIN DELLS, WI
item OSMAN, MIREILLE - GRENOBLE, FRANCE
item FERNHOLZ, KAREN - WISCONSIN DELLS, WI
item Anderson, Richard

Submitted to: Alternative Medicine Review
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2009
Publication Date: 5/1/2009
Citation: Roussel, A., Hininger, I., Waters, R., Osman, M., Fernholz, K., Anderson, R.A. 2009. EDTA chelation therapy, without added vitamin C, decreases oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation. Alternative Medicine Review. 14:56-61.

Interpretive Summary: Antioxidants play a key role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We demonstrated previously that the intravenous administration of the standard chelation cocktail, containing high amounts of vitamin C, resulted in an acute transitory prooxidant burst that should be avoided in the treatment of pathologies at the risk of increased oxidative stress such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We administrated an EDTA chelation cocktail to 6 adult subjects for 5 weeks (11 sessions) that did not contain ascorbic acid and monitored antioxidant indicators. Immediately after the initial chelation session, in contrast with the data previously reported when we were using the standard cocktail containing high doses of vitamin C, none of the oxidative stress markers were adversely modified. After 5 weeks of chelation therapy, prooxidant levels decreased by 20% and DNA damage decreased by 22%. Remaining antioxidant related variables did not change. In summary, this study demonstrated that multiple sessions of EDTA chelation therapy, without added ascorbic acid, in combination with vitamins and minerals, decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidative damages. These results suggest that EDTA chelation therapy, without added high doses of vitamin C, should be beneficial in the treatment of diseases associated with increased oxidative stress such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This work should be of benefit to the lay public, people with these diseases, and the medical personnel involved in the treatment of diseases associated with dietary antioxidants and antioxidant status.

Technical Abstract: Chelation therapy is thought to not only remove contaminating metals, but also to decrease free radical production. However, in standard EDTA chelation therapy high doses of vitamin C with potential prooxidant effects are often added to the chelation solution. We demonstrated previously that the intravenous administration of the standard chelation cocktail containing high amounts of vitamin C resulted in an acute transitory prooxidant burst that should be avoided in the treatment of pathologies at risk of increased oxidative stress such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We administrated an EDTA chelation cocktail to 6 adult subjects for 5 weeks (11 sessions) that did not contain ascorbic acid and monitored antioxidant indicators. Immediately after the initial chelation session, in contrast with the data previously reported when we were using the standard cocktail containing high doses of vitamin C, none of the oxidative stress markers were adversely modified. After 5 weeks of chelation therapy, plasma peroxide levels monitored by malondialdehyde decreased by 20% and DNA damage monitored by formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) sensitive sites decreased by 22%. In summary, this study demonstrated that multiple sessions of EDTA chelation therapy without added ascorbic acid, in combination with vitamins and minerals, decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidative damages. These results suggest that EDTA chelation therapy without added high doses of vitamin C should be beneficial in the treatment of diseases associated with increased oxidative stress such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.