Monthly Archives: October 2017

Supplementation of α-Tocopherol Attenuates Minerals Disturbance, Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis Occurring in Favism.

Koriem KMM, Arbid MS, Gomaa NE

Indian J Clin Biochem. 2017 Oct;32(4):446-452. doi: 10.1007/s12291-016-0623-4.

Abstract

The favism is a metabolic disease that characterized with an acute hemolytic anemia where α-tocopherol is a type of tocopherol accumulated inside the human body. The objective of such a study was established to evaluate the effect of α-tocopherol in favism disorders. A total of 75 human cases were divided into 5 groups as follow; group 1 normal cases without any treatment and group 2 normal cases orally administrated α-tocopherol (200 mg/kg) once a day over 30 days period. Group 3 favism patients without any treatment. Groups 4 and 5 favism patients orally administrated 100 and 200 mg α-tocopherol/kg, respectively once a day over 30 days period. The results obtained revealed that oral administration of α-tocopherol into normal cases over 30 days period did not induce any biological change. In favism, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red and white blood cells, serum glucose, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, blood glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and serum calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium and chloride levels were significantly decreased. On the other hand, serum alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, selenium, zinc, manganese, copper and iron, malondialdehyde levels showed significant increase in favism. Supplementation with α-tocopherol into favism restores all the above mentioned parameters to approach the normal levels. Also, α-tocopherol has anti-apoptotic effect in favism. In conclusion, α-tocopherol attenuates minerals disturbance, oxidative stress and apoptosis occurring in favism.

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Tumor regression and modulation of gene expression via tumor-targeted tocotrienol niosomes.

Tan DM, Fu JY, Wong FS, Er HM, Chen YS, Nesaretnam K

Nanomedicine (Lond). 2017 Oct;12(20):2487-2502. doi: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0182. Epub 2017 Sep 20.

Abstract

AIM:

To develop 6-O-palmitoyl-ascorbic acid-based niosomes targeted to transferrin receptor for intravenous administration of tocotrienols(T3) in breast cancer.

MATERIALS & METHODS:

Niosomes were prepared using film hydration and ultrasonication methods. Transferrin was coupled to the surface of niosomes via chemical linker. Nanovesicles were characterized for size, zeta potential, morphology, stability and biological efficacy.

RESULTS:

When evaluated in MDA-MB-231 cells, entrapment of T3 in niosomes caused 1.5-fold reduction in IC50 value compared with nonformulated T3. In vivo, the average tumor volume of mice treated with tumor-targeted niosomes was 12-fold lower than that of untreated group, accompanied by marked downregulation of three genes involved in metastasis.

CONCLUSION:

Findings suggested that tumor-targeted niosomes served as promising delivery system for T3 in cancer therapy.

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Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis Effectively Treated with Vitamin E as an Add-on to Corticosteroids.

Miyashima Y, Shibata M, Honma Y, Matsuoka H, Hiura M, Abe S, Harada M

Intern Med. 2017 Oct 11. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.8767-16.

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman with a history of heavy alcohol drinking was admitted to our hospital due to jaundice and abdominal distention. A blood test showed leukophilia, mild hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatobiliary injury and coagulopathy. Image studies showed an extremely enlarged fatty liver and splenomegaly. The Japan alcoholic hepatitis score and Maddrey’s discriminant function were 10 and 54 points, respectively. We diagnosed her with severe alcoholic hepatitis and treated her with corticosteroids, but her liver function did not improve. We therefore administered the vitamin E product tochopheryl acetate (150 mg/day) as an add-on therapy, after which her leukophilia, liver enzymes and coagulopathy improved immediately.

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Consider Vitamin E to improve pig performance

Vitamin E benefits meat coloration, flavor and smell.

“Piglets are born with low vitamin E and rely on colostrum to restore levels and prevent deficiency,” says Bergstrom. “Increasing the sow’s dietary level of vitamin E prior to farrowing boosts levels of vitamin E in colostrum, allowing piglets to rapidly increase vitamin E levels after birth and maintain optimal levels until weaning.”

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What Is the RDA for Vitamin E?

The Institute of Medicine establishes a recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for important nutrients. The RDA represents the average daily intake of a nutrient that meets the needs of 97 to 98 percent of healthy people. RDA values for vitamin E vary by age but not by gender.

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High purity tocotrienols attenuate atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoE-KO mice.

Shibata A, Kobayashi T, Asai A, Eitsuka T, Oikawa S, Miyazawa T, Nakagawa K

J Nutr Biochem. 2017 Oct;48:44-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.06.009. Epub 2017 Jun 24.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that tocotrienol (T3) has antiatherogenic effects. However, the T3 preparations used in those studies contained considerable amounts of tocopherol (Toc), which might affect the biological activity of T3. There is little information on the effect of highly purified T3 on atherosclerosis formation. This study investigated the effect of high-purity T3 on atherosclerotic lesion formation and the underlying mechanisms. Male apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-KO) mice were fed a cholesterol-containing diet either alone or supplemented with T3 concentrate (Toc-free T3) or with α-Toc for 12 weeks. ApoE-KO mice fed the 0.2% T3-supplemented diet showed reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation in the aortic root. The 0.2% T3 diet induced Slc27a1 and Ldlr gene expression levels in the liver, whereas the α-Toc-supplemented diet did not affect those expression levels. T3 was predominantly deposited in fat tissue in the T3 diet-fed mice, whereas α-Toc was preferentially accumulated in liver in the α-Toc diet-fed mice. Considered together, these data demonstrate that dietary T3 exerts anti-atherosclerotic effect in apoE-KO mice. The characteristic tissue distribution and biological effects of T3, that are substantially different from those of Toc, may contribute to the antiatherogenic properties of T3.

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γ-Tocotrienol-induced disruption of lipid rafts in human breast cancer cells is associated with a reduction in exosome heregulin content.

Alawin OA, Ahmed RA, Dronamraju V, Briski KP, Sylvester PW

J Nutr Biochem. 2017 Oct;48:83-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.06.013. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Abstract

Overexpression of heregulin, a potent ligand that activates HER3 and HER4 receptors, plays a significant role in the development of chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer patients. Exosomes released from cancer cells are small vesicles originating from the outward budding of lipid rafts that carry various mitogenic proteins that then act locally in an autocrine/paracrine manner to stimulate cancer cell growth. Since the anticancer activity of γ-tocotrienol has been shown to be mediated in part through the disruption of lipid rafts, studies were conducted to determine the effect of γ-tocotrienol on exosomes mitogenic biopotency. Exosomes isolated from the media of cultured T47D breast cancer cells were found to stimulate T47D cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. These growth stimulating effects were due to the high levels of heregulin contained in the exosomes that act to stimulate HER3 and HER4 activation, heterodimerization and mitogenic signaling. Exposure to 5 μM γ-tocotrienol resulted in the selective accumulation and disruption in the integrity of the lipid raft microdomain and a corresponding decrease in exosome heregulin content and mitogenic biopotency. These findings provide strong evidence indicating that the anticancer effects of γ-tocotrienol are mediated, at least in part, by directly disrupting HER dimerization and signaling within the lipid rafts and indirectly by reducing exosome heregulin content and subsequent autocrine/paracrine mitogenic stimulation.

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Effects of delta-tocotrienol on obesity-related adipocyte hypertrophy, inflammation and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-fed mice.

Allen L, Ramalingam L, Menikdiwela K, Scoggin S, Shen CL, Tomison MD, Kaur G, Dufour JM, Chung E, Kalupahana NS, Moustaid-Moussa N

J Nutr Biochem. 2017 Oct;48:128-137. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.07.003. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Abstract

Inflammation is a major underlying cause for obesity-associated metabolic diseases. Hence, anti-inflammatory dietary components may improve obesity-related disorders. We hypothesized that delta-tocotrienol (δT3), a member of the vitamin E family, reduces adiposity, insulin resistance and hepatic triglycerides through its anti-inflammatory properties. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6J male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HF) with or without supplementation of δT3 (HF+δT3) at 400 mg/kg and 1600 mg/kg for 14 weeks, and they were compared to mice fed a low-fat diet (LF) or HF supplemented with metformin as an antidiabetic control. Glucose tolerance tests were administered 2 weeks prior to the end of treatments. Histology, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and protein analyses were performed to assess inflammation and fatty acid metabolism in adipose and liver tissues. Significant improvements in glucose tolerance, and reduced hepatic steatosis and serum triglycerides were observed in δT3-supplemented groups compared to the HF group. Body and fat pad weights were not significantly reduced in HF+δT3 groups; however, we observed smaller fat cell size and reduced macrophage infiltration in their adipose tissues compared to other groups. These changes were at least in part mechanistically explained by a reduction of mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory adipokines and increased expression of anti-inflammatory adipokines in HF+δT3 mice. Moreover, δT3 dose-dependently increased markers of fatty acid oxidation and reduced markers of fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue and liver. In conclusion, our studies suggest that δT3 may promote metabolically healthy obesity by reducing fat cell hypertrophy and decreasing inflammation in both liver and adipose tissue.

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