title: Vitamin E prevents exercise-induced DNA damage.
abstract: The single cell gel test (SCG test or comet assay) was used to study DNA damage in peripheral white blood cells (WBC) of humans after a single bout of exhaustive exercise and the effect of vitamin supplementation. Human subjects were asked to run on a treadmill until exhaustion and blood samples were taken before and 24 h after the run. A clear increase in DNA strand breakage was observed in the 24-h sample of all probands. A short-term application of multivitamin pills or vitamin E (3 x 800 mg) resulted in a significantly smaller increase of DNA effects in WBC of some probands. When the volunteers were given a supplement of vitamin E (1200 mg daily) for 14 days prior to a run, exercise-induced DNA damage was clearly reduced in all probands. In four out of five subjects, vitamin supplementation completely prevented the induction of DNA damage after exhaustive exercise. Intake of vitamin E for 14 days led to a clear increase in vitamin E serum concentrations. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, was measured in the serum of probands in tests with and without vitamin supplementation for 14 days. MDA concentrations were significantly decreased following vitamin E supplementation but not significantly changed 15 min and 24 h after a run. Our results demonstrate that vitamin E prevents exercise-induced DNA damage and indicate that DNA breakage occurs in WBC after exhaustive exercise as a consequence of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Medizinische Genetik, Universität Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Niess
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grünert-Fuchs
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Poch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Speit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002470:Cell Survival; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde