title: Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the human sunburn reaction.
abstract: Beta-carotene, a quencher of excited species such as singlet oxygen and free radicals, has been reported to protect against cutaneous photodamage, including sunburn acutely and photocarcinogenesis chronically. The present double blind placebo-controlled study examines the effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the human sunburn response and specifically on the induction of sunburn cells at the time of peak reaction intensity (24 h) after a single solar simulated light exposure 3 times the individually determined minimal erythema dose (MED). Administered orally either as a single 120 mg dose to dietarily restricted subjects or for 23 d as a daily 90 mg supplement to subjects on standard diets, beta-carotene increased plasma and skin levels of beta-carotene compared to both pretreatment levels and placebo-treated controls, but provided no clinically or histologically detectable protection against a 3 MED sunburn reaction. Thus, these data suggest that oral beta-carotene supplementation is unlikely to modify the severity of cutaneous photodamage in normal individuals to a clinically meaningful degree.
authors.affiliation: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, MA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garmyn
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ribaya-Mercado
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Russel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bhawan
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gilchrest
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids