title: Anti-inflammatory γ- and δ-tocotrienols improve cardiovascular, liver and metabolic function in diet-induced obese rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested the hypothesis that γ- and δ-tocotrienols are more effective than α-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol in attenuating the signs of diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five groups of rats were fed a corn starch-rich (C) diet containing 68 % carbohydrates as polysaccharides, while the other five groups were fed a diet (H) high in simple carbohydrates (fructose and sucrose in food, 25 % fructose in drinking water, total 68 %) and fats (beef tallow, total 24 %) for 16 weeks. Separate groups from each diet were supplemented with either α-, γ-, δ-tocotrienol or α-tocopherol (85 mg/kg/day) for the final 8 of the 16 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H rats developed visceral obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, cardiovascular remodelling and fatty liver. α-Tocopherol, α-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols reduced collagen deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration in the heart. Only γ- and δ-tocotrienols improved cardiovascular function and normalised systolic blood pressure compared to H rats. Further, δ-tocotrienol improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and abdominal adiposity. In the liver, these interventions reduced lipid accumulation, inflammatory infiltrates and plasma liver enzyme activities. Tocotrienols were measured in heart, liver and adipose tissue showing that chronic oral dosage delivered tocotrienols to these organs despite low or no detection of tocotrienols in plasma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In rats, δ-tocotrienol improved inflammation, heart structure and function, and liver structure and function, while γ-tocotrienol produced more modest improvements, with minimal changes with α-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol. The most important mechanism of action is likely to be reduction in organ inflammation.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.|Laboratory of Cardiovascular Signalling, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
authors.forename: Weng-Yew
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Leigh C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Davos Life Science Pte Ltd, 3 Biopolis Drive, #04-19 Synapse, Singapore, 138623, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chee Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Davos Life Science Pte Ltd, 3 Biopolis Drive, #04-19 Synapse, Singapore, 138623, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wei Ney
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia. Lindsay.Brown@usq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001823:Body Composition; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000188:drug therapy; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D024508:Tocotrienols / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D024508:Tocotrienols; D014810:Vitamin E; C082097:tocotrienol, delta; C082032:tocotrienol, alpha; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Cardiovascular; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Tocopherols; Tocotrienols