Vitamins E, C and lipid peroxidation in plasma and arterial tissue of smokers and non-smokers.
An imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants is operative in atherosclerosis. Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis and has been reported to contain large amounts of oxidants. We assessed arterial (internal mammary artery) and plasma levels of vitamins E and C and lipid peroxides in 48 male patients, 24 smokers and 24 non-smokers, undergoing coronary bypass surgery. Lipid peroxidation was studied using fluorescent products of lipid peroxidation (FPLs). Tissue vitamins E and C levels were significantly lower and FPLs significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers (P < 0.0006, 0.0005 and 0.0005, respectively). This pattern was associated with lower vitamin C and higher lipid peroxide plasma levels in smokers than in non-smokers (P < 0.0002 and 0.0005, respectively). Vitamins E and C plasma levels were strongly related to their tissue content both in smokers (r = 0.60, P < 0.005 and r = 0.57, P < 0.01) and in non-smokers (r = 0.42, P < 0.05 and r = 0.46, P < 0.05). Moreover, vitamin E content was significantly related to that of vitamin C only in the arterial tissue of both groups, pointing to the existence of a functional interaction between these antioxidants. In both groups, FPLs were significantly and inversely related to vitamin C in plasma and to vitamin E in tissue, suggesting the antioxidant primary of vitamin C and vitamin E in the plasma and arterial tissue compartments, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mezzetti
A
A
Istituto di Fisiopatologia Medica, Universitá G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
Lapenna
D
D
Pierdomenico
S D
SD
Calafiore
A M
AM
Costantini
F
F
Riario-Sforza
G
G
Imbastaro
T
T
Neri
M
M
Cuccurullo
F
F
D001158:Arteries / Q000737:chemistry*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid