title: A vitamin E concentrate rich in tocotrienols had no effect on serum lipids, lipoproteins, or platelet function in men with mildly elevated serum lipid concentrations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tocotrienols, lipid-soluble antioxidants with vitamin E activity, have been reported to lower LDL-cholesterol concentrations and platelet aggregation in men, but results are contradictory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine in detail the effects of a vitamin E concentrate rich in tocotrienols on serum lipoproteins and on platelet function in men at risk for cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial, 20 men received daily for 6 wk 4 capsules, each containing 35 mg tocotrienols and 20 mg alpha-tocopherol; 20 other men received 4 capsules daily, each providing 20 mg alpha-tocopherol. All men had concentrations of serum total cholesterol between 6.5 and 8.0 mmol/L or lipoprotein(a) concentrations > 150 mg/L.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compliance was confirmed by changes in serum tocopherol and tocotrienol concentrations. Serum LDL cholesterol in the tocotrienol group was 4.80 mmol/L before and 4.79 mmol/L after intervention, and increased from 4.70 to 4.86 mmol/L in the placebo group (95% CI for the difference: -0.54, 0.19 mmol/L; P = 0.333). Also, changes in HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, lipoprotein(a), and lipid peroxide concentrations did not differ between the groups. After adjustment for differences in initial values, no effects were found on collagen-induced platelet aggregation velocity, maximum aggregation, or thromboxane B2 formation in citrated whole blood. ATP release, however, was lower in the tocotrienol group. Urinary thromboxane B2 and 11-keto-thromboxane B2 concentrations and coagulation and fibrinolytic measures did not change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tocotrienol supplements used had no marked favorable effects on the serum lipoprotein profile or on platelet function in men with slightly elevated lipid concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Netherlands. R.Mensink@HB.UNIMAAS.NL
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mensink
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van Houwelingen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kromhout
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hornstra
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood*; D006951:Hyperlipoproteinemias / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000652:urine; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology