title: Pro-oxidant effect of alpha-tocopherol in patients with type 2 diabetes after an oral glucose tolerance test--a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a part of a larger study investigating the effects of alpha-tocopherol on gene expression in type 2 diabetics we observed a pro-oxidant effect of alpha-tocopherol which we believe may be useful in interpreting outcomes of large intervention trials of alpha-tocopherol.
  
  
  METHODS
  19 type 2 diabetes subjects were randomised into two groups taking either 1200 IU/day of alpha-tocopherol or a matched placebo for 4 weeks. On day 0 and 29 of this study oxidative DNA damage was assessed in mononuclear cells from fasted blood samples and following a 2 h glucose tolerance test (GTT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  On day 0 there was no significant difference in oxidative DNA damage between the two groups or following a GTT. On day 29 there was no significant difference in oxidative DNA damage in fasted blood samples, however following a GTT there was a significant increase in oxidative DNA damage in the alpha-tocopherol treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High dose supplementation with alpha-tocopherol primes mononuclear cells from patients with type 2 diabetes for a potentially damaging response to acute hyperglycaemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UA, UK. mark.winterbone@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Winterbone
authors.forename: Mike J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Shikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Jackie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016877:Oxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016877:Oxidants; C024829:8-hydroxyguanine; D006147:Guanine; D004247:DNA; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol