[Effect of vitamin E supplementation on the vitamin content of lipoprotein in young men and women].
The effect of supplementary Vitamin E on the vitamin content of lipoproteins in young men and women. Inappropriate vitamin and trace element supplementation may facilitate the development of atherosclerosis. It is known that Vitamin E protects lipids from oxidative stress, while clinical signs of atherosclerosis appear later in women compared to men.


OBJECTIVE
(1) The increase of vitamin E in plasma and plasma lipoproteins after 4 weeks of supplementation vitamin E was investigated, (2) furthermore it was tested whether a proportion shift occurs in alpha-tocopherol content of lipoproteins, (3) and checked for gender-related differences in plasma and plasma lipoprotein vitamin E levels before, during and after treatment, (4) plasma CRP levels as a marker of lipid peroxidation were also followed.


METHODS
5-5 young healthy men and women took part in the study, receiving 700 IU/day Vitamin E for one month. Each subject was studied before and at the end of treatment, and also one month after treatment. HDL and LDL-VLDL containing lipoproteins were separated. Vitamin E and hsCRP levels were measured (by HPLC and an immunoturbidimetric method, respectively).


RESULTS
Vitamin E treatment induced in both genders an approximately threefold increase in vitamin E concentration in HDL-cholesterol (8.1 +/- 1.7 micromol/l vs. 22.5 +/- 7.5 micromol/l, p < 0.001), and a twofold increase in LDL-VLDL-cholesterol (22.0 +/- 3.7 micromol/l vs. 49.0 +/- 9.0 micromol/l, p < 0.001). Plasma and HDL vitamin E levels were higher in women than in men at the onset of treatment (6.8 +/- 0.96 micromol/l vs. 9.5 +/- 1.10 micromol/l), but during the treatment these gender-related differences disappeared. When plasma vitamin E concentration were considered 100% and the changes of the vitamin E concentrations of lipoproteins were calculated, it was found that supplementation with vitamin E in men increased the vitamin E concentration of LDL-VLDL cholesterol to a higher extent compared to women (LDL-VLDL % in men: 59.8 +/- 7.43%, in women: 49.3 +/- 7.41%, p < 0.05). All the observed changes regressed one month after cessation of supplementation. The level of hsCRP decreased during vitamin E treatment (1.07 +/- 0.9 mg/l vs. 0.2 +/- 0.14 mg/l, p < 0.001), and remained suppressed after the cessation of treatment (0.37 +/- 0.4, p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the hypothesis that women at young age are better protected against lipid-peroxidation as compared to men because of higher HDL vitamin E concentrations. Vitamin E supplementation in men eliminates this concentration difference between genders, and also increases LDL-VLDL vitamin E. In both genders high concentration of vitamin E in lipoproteins was associated with low hsCRP concentration.
Somogyi
Anikó
A
Semmelweis Egyetem, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar, Budapest, II. Belgyógyászati Klinika, Budapest.
Herold
Magdolna
M
Kocsis
Ibolya
I
Nagy
Géza
G
Somfai
Gábor
G
Studinger
Péter
P
D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism*
D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D014810:Vitamin E; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol