Influence of intravenous vitamin E supplementation in cardiac surgery on oxidative stress: a double-blinded, randomized, controlled study.
BACKGROUND
I.V. infusions of vitamin E emulsion (all-rac-alpha-tocopherol) may reduce ischaemia-reperfusion injury after elective cardiac surgery.


METHODS
Forty patients participated in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, receiving either placebo or four doses (270 mg each) of all-rac-alpha-tocopherol between 16 h before and 48 h after surgery. We determined plasma concentrations of vitamin E, vitamin C, malondialdehyde, creatine kinase, troponin I and interleukin 6 and other measures of clinical outcome.


RESULTS
Infusion of vitamin E caused normalization of vitamin E plasma concentrations during and after surgery, but had no effect on the early increase in malondialdehyde concentration or the decreases in antioxidative capacity and the water-soluble antioxidant vitamin C.


CONCLUSIONS
Normalization of plasma vitamin E concentrations with parenteral vitamin E emulsion does not affect biochemical markers of myocardial injury and does not affect clinical outcome after cardiac surgery.
Lassnigg
A
A
Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Austria. andrea.lassnigg@univie.ac.at
Punz
A
A
Barker
R
R
Keznickl
P
P
Manhart
N
N
Roth
E
E
Hiesmayr
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001205:Ascorbic Acid