A study on the action of vitamin E supplementation on plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and platelet nitric oxide production in type 2 diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
Type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients show decreased fibrinolysis, mainly linked to high plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) production, together with a reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide and an impairment in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity possibly involved in increased cardiovascular risk. Vitamin E is the major natural lipid-soluble antioxidant in human plasma. The present work was conducted in order to measure PAI-1, ICAM and VCAM-1 plasma levels, platelet nitric oxide production and membrane Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in type 2 diabetic subjects treated with vitamin E (500 IU/day) for 10 weeks and then followed for other 20 weeks.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven T2DM patients (24 males and 13 females) were studied. None of them were affected by any other disease or diabetic complications. Significant differences were detected for PAI-1 antigen (p<0.001), PAI-1 activity (p<0.001), nitric oxide (NO) production (p<0.001), and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity (p<0.001) among the 4 phases of the study. A significant decrease both in ICAM and VCAM-1 plasma levels was also found at the 10th week compared with baseline (respectively p<0.001 and p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that vitamin E counteracts endothelial activation in T2DM patients possibly representing a new tool for endothelial protection.
Vignini
Arianna
A
Institute of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via P. Ranieri 65, 60131 Ancona, Italy. vignini2@libero.it
Nanetti
Laura
L
Moroni
Cinzia
C
Testa
Roberto
R
Sirolla
Cristina
C
Marra
Maurizio
M
Manfrini
Silvana
S
Fumelli
Daniele
D
Marcheselli
Fiorella
F
Mazzanti
Laura
L
Rabini
Rosa Anna
RA
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; C051321:SERPINE1 protein, human; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D014810:Vitamin E; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase