title: Cardiovascular aging is associated with vitamin E increase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aging is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, therapies to delay vascular aging may have enormous medical consequences. In this context, vitamin E is of particular interest, mainly because of its antioxidative properties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 3-year-old rats, which are not susceptible to atherosclerosis, vitamin E levels, as measured by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, were markedly increased both in plasma and in major organs (P<0.01 to P<0.0001). The highest increase (at least 70-fold) was found in the aortic wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This unexpected accumulation of vitamin E appears to be a compensatory mechanism that attempts to counterbalance age-associated oxidative stress and that may represent a self-regulatory protective adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Centre, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van der Loo
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Labugger
authors.forename: Claude P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Aebischer
authors.forename: Jeremy N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Skepper
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bachschmid
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kilo
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altwegg
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001011:Aorta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013481:Superoxides; D014810:Vitamin E; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol