DOI: 10.1102/1473-1827.2008.0001 Article Comparison of N-acetylcysteine and ascorbic acid in prevention of renal dysfunction after coronary angioplasty

Background: Contrast agents can cause a reduction in renal function that may be due to generation of reactive oxygen species. Conflicting evidence suggests that administration of the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents this renal impairment. The literature on the protective role of ascorbic acid is scarce. Objective: To compare the effects of NAC and ascorbic acid monotherapy with placebo in reducing the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after coronary angioplasty. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of NAC and ascorbic acid monotherapy in 150 patients with any baseline serum creatinine who underwent coronary angioplasty. NAC 600mg b.i.d. for 2 days, ascorbic acid 1.5 g b.i.d. for 2 days or placebo administered orally with the first dose initiated on the day before the procedure. The primary end point of our study was the incidence of CIN, defined as a relative increase in serum creatinine of at least 25 % measured 4 days after the procedure