A team of researchers from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health have discovered a new method of treating the symptoms of sepsis, specifically low oxygen levels, low blood flow and high temperature caused by the condition in the brain’s frontal cortex.
Sepsis is a deadly condition caused by an excessive inflammation response to infection – it frequently causes damage to vital organs and often leads to death, but there are currently no treatments for the condition.
Researchers have now discovered that an extremely large ‘megadose’ of sodium ascorbate can reverse the effects of sepsis on the brain, offering a treatment pathway that could reduce or even eliminate brain damage in survivors.
Dramatic response to treatment
The study – led by Professor Clive May and Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva – was published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, demonstrating that a formulation of sodium ascorbate developed by The Florey reverses the damage caused by sepsis, reducing the chances of coma, delirium and cognitive impairment.
Professor May has been studying sepsis for more than two decades.
“I have never seen such a dramatic response to treatment as occurred after we intravenously administered a megadose of sodium ascorbate to our clinically-relevant large animal model of sepsis,” he said.
“Before administering the sodium ascorbate, the test subjects were lethargic, unresponsive, lying down and not eating or drinking.
“Within one hour of receiving the intravenous formulation, they were more alert and after four hours they had completely recovered their normal behavioural state.
“They stood up, responded to external stimuli and started eating and drinking.
“All of these changes suggest a beneficial effect of the treatment on the brain.”
Powerful restorative effect
Professor Lankadeva said the measurements in the test subjects’ brains showed that the megadose of sodium ascorbate restored microcirculatory blood flow, oxygen levels and temperature in the frontal cortex.
The team is moving forward from this initial Phase 1a clinical trial to a larger nationwide trial to test the treatment’s efficacy in septic patients in intensive care units across Australia, with participants selected by treating clinicians.
“We’ve previously shown that sodium ascorbate has beneficial effects on the kidneys and cardiovascular system in septic patients. This latest study shows it is also beneficial to the brain,” Professor Lankadeva said.
“Our work indicates sodium ascorbate may reverse symptoms before any persisting damage is done to the brain.”
Sepsis is a leading cause of death globally, with about 30 million people developing the condition each year.
In Australia, at least 55,000 people develop sepsis every year – some 8,000 of them will die from complications related to the condition.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy or SAE (the condition that causes confusion, delirium or even coma) affects up to 70% of patient with sepsis, and about 21% of sepsis patients who survive will experience some level of cognitive impairment, meaning this new treatment could drastically improve patient outcomes.