Vitamin E supplementation in patients with carotid atherosclerosis: reversal of altered oxidative stress status in plasma but not in plaque.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Oxidative stress is believed to play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. We analyzed whether vitamin E supplementation influences oxidative stress in plasma and atherosclerotic plaques of patients with severe atherosclerosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

In 16 patients who were candidates for carotid endarterectomy and in 32 age- and sex-matched controls, plasma levels of 7beta-hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, cholesterol, and vitamin E were measured. Patients were randomly allocated to standard treatment with or without 900 mg/d vitamin E. After 6 weeks of treatment, the reported variables were measured in plasma and plaques. The plasma vitamin E/cholesterol ratio was significantly lower in patients than in controls (3.05+/-0.6 versus 6.3+/-1.7 micromol/mmol cholesterol, P<0.001). Plasma 7beta-hydroxycholesterol was significantly higher in patients than in controls (5.0+/-1.04 versus 4.4+/-0.6 ng/mL, P<0.05). Patients who were given vitamin E supplementation showed a significant increase of plasma vitamin E with concomitant decrease of 7beta-hydroxycholesterol. Conversely, no treatment dependence was observed in oxysterol or vitamin E content of plaques.

CONCLUSIONS:

An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant status is present in patients with advanced atherosclerosis. Vitamin E supplementation improves this imbalance in plasma but not in plaques.

• Authors: Fausta Micheletta, Silvia Natoli, Maria Misuraca, Enrico Sbarigia, Ulf Diczfalusy, Luigi Iuliano
• Journal: Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol) Vol. 24 Issue 1 Pg. 136-40 (Jan 2004) ISSN: 1524-4636 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 14592846 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Fibrinolytic Agents
• Hydroxycholesterols
• Ketocholesterols
• Vitamin E
• cholest-5-en-3 beta,7 alpha-diol
• Cholesterol
• 7-ketocholesterol

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Carotid Stenosis (blood, drug therapy, metabolism)
• Cholesterol (blood)
• Female
• Fibrinolytic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Hydroxycholesterols (blood)
• Ketocholesterols (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Organ Specificity
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Plasma
• Treatment Outcome
• Vitamin E (blood, pharmacology, therapeutic use)