Ascorbic Acid 2-Glucoside Pretreatment Protects Cells from Ionizing Radiation, UVC, and Short Wavelength of UVB

Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA2G), glucosylated ascorbic acid (AA), has superior properties for bioavailability and stability compared to AA. Although AA2G has shown radioprotective properties similar to AA, effects for UV light, especially UVC and UVB, are not studied. AA2G was tested for cytotoxicity and protective effects against ionizing radiation, UVC, and broadband and narrowband UVB in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and compared to AA and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Pretreatment with DMSO, AA, and AA2G showed comparative protective effects in CHO wild type and radiosensitive xrs5 cells for cell death against ionizing radiation with reducing the number of radiation-induced DNA damages. Pretreatment with AA and AA2G protected CHO wild type and UV sensitive UV135 cells from UVC and broadband UV, but not from narrowband UVB. DMSO showed no protective effects against tested UV. The UV filtration effects of AA and AA2G were analyzed with a spectrometer and spectroradiometer. AA and AA2G blocked UVC and reduced short wavelengths of UVB, but had no effect on wavelengths above 300 nm. These results suggest that AA2G protects cells from radiation by acting as a radical scavenger to reduce initial DNA damage, as well as protecting cells from certain UVB wavelengths by filtration.