Vitamin C has been proven to act as an antioxidant in the human body against various negative effects of oxidative stressors. The nature of water-soluble vitamin C facilitates performance in the body, including bone tissue. Vitamin C is also reported to affect the process of bone growth through activation of osteoblast cells, to control the activity of osteoclasts and to improve bone mineralization.
One type of oxidative stressor is noise exposure. Noise is generated from various sound sources, including traffic, electronic and digital devices, sounds from biological creatures and mechanical sounds. Noise is unpleasant, unwanted, and can have negative effects on health. For pregnant women, noise can be transmitted to the fetus through the walls of the stomach and uterus, so the effects of noise can also affect the health of the fetus, including bone tissue.
So far, there have not been many studies reporting the effects of vitamin C oral administration against the negative effects of noise as a source of oxidative stressors during pregnancy. Therefore, the research team conducted a study to analyze the levels of oxidative stress through measurement of MDA (malondialdehyde) levels, which is one of the biomarkers of lipid peroxidase due to oxidative stressors exposure in biological tissues. Furthermore, quantitative observations of osteoblast cells and the width of the osteoid matrix in experimental bone tissue were also carried out. This study used a male strain Rattus norvegicus Wistar born to a mother exposed to noise during pregnancy.
The study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design, with an experimental analysis of the laboratory. The research was conducted after obtaining ethical feasibility from the Health Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Thirty-two healthy experimental animals were randomized and divided into four groups with the same number. Before the treatment, all experimental animals had been acclimatized for seven days in the trial cage. The fertilization process was carried out by a veterinarian at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya. After that, each group was given vitamin C solution 150 mg/kg of body weight/day, distilled water and white noise at 95dB for 4 hours/day, and the last group received a vitamin C solution of 150 mg/kg of body weight/day and white noise at 95dB for 4 hours/day. Vitamin C and distilled water are given every day at the same time, namely in the morning. Whereas the white noise comes from the software version 5.2.0 real-time analyzer that is connected to the loudspeakers placed 30 cm from each trial cage. Noise exposure is given since the 15th day of pregnancy until the time of delivery. Noise level is controlled by a sound level meter. The experimental rats which were the control group were placed in different rooms without exposure to noise during the trial period. On the day of birth, all rats were weighed, the children of male rats who had the highest body weight were sacrificed and the right tibia tissue then taken and processed histologically. The histological preparations were stained with Masson’s Trichrome and then observed under a light microscope with an objective magnification of 400x, osteoblast counts and measurements of the osteoid matrix bone area and semi-quantitative analysis of MDA level performed using Cell’s Sense and Image J software (USA).
From this study, it was found that noise exposure during pregnancy decreases the average number of osteoblast cells, as well as the area of osteoid matrix bone tissue fraction. These negative effects can be countered by administering vitamin C orally, as evidenced by the results of the analysis in the group given vitamin C having an average number of osteoblasts and increased osteoid area compared to the group who did not get vitamin C. Moreover, MDA levels were high in the group those exposed to noise are inversely proportional to those exposed to noise but are given vitamin C supplementation. Vitamin C can capture free radical ions in bone tissue, so osteoblast activity is also improved. Vitamin C also improved the osteogenesis process through bone matrices component synthetic including type I collagen and the non-collagen such as osteocalcin, osteonectin, osteopontin, fibronectin, sialoprotein II, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and growth factors.
Author: Viskasari P. Kalanjati, dr., M.Kes., PA (K)., Ph.D.
Details of this research available at:
http://jurnal.umsu.ac.id/index.php/buletin_farmatera
Taya E. Savista, Viskasari P. Kalanjati, Abdurachman (2019). Modulation Of Bone Tissue Histomorphometry and Malondialdehyde Expression Levels By Vitamin C in Rodents After Prenatal Noise Exposure. Bulletin Farmatera, 4(2): 88-94; https://doi.org/10.30596/bf.v4i2.2571
