Vitamin E catabolism in women, as modulated by food and by fat, studied using 2 deuterium-labeled α-tocopherols in a 3-phase, nonrandomized crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Human vitamin E (α-tocopherol) catabolism is a mechanism for regulating whole-body α-tocopherol. OBJECTIVES: To determine the roles of the intestine and liver on α-tocopherol catabolism as affected by fat or fasting, 2 deuterium-labeled (intravenous d6- and oral d3-) forms of α-tocopherol were used. METHODS: Healthy women received intravenous d6-α-tocopherol and consumed d3-α-tocopherol with a 600-kcal defined liquid meal (DLM; 40% or 0% fat, n = 10) followed by controlled meals; or the 0% fat DLM (n = 7) followed by a 12-h fast (0% fat-fast), then controlled meals ≤72 h. The order of the 3-phase crossover design was not randomized and there was no blinding. Samples were analyzed by LC/MS to determine the α-tocopherol catabolites and α-carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol (α-CEHC) in urine, feces, and plasma that were catabolized from administered oral d3- and intravenous d6-α-tocopherols. RESULTS: Urinary and plasma d3- and d6-α-CEHC concentrations varied differently with the interventions. Mean ± SEM cumulative urinary d6-α-CEHC derived from the intravenous dose excreted over 72 h during the 40% fat (2.50 ± 0.37 µmol/g creatinine) and 0% fat (2.37 ± 0.37 µmol/g creatinine) interventions were similar, but a ∼50% decrease was observed during the 0% fat-fast (1.05 ± 0.39 µmol/g creatinine) intervention (compared with 0% fat, P = 0.0005). Cumulative urinary d3-α-CEHC excretion was not significantly changed by any intervention. Total urinary and fecal excretion of catabolites accounted for <5% of each of the administered doses. CONCLUSIONS: Differential catabolism of the intravenous d6-α-tocopherol and oral d3-α-tocopherol doses shows both liver and intestine have roles in α-tocopherol catabolism. During the 40% fat intervention, >90% of urinary d3-α-CEHC excretion was estimated to be liver-derived, whereas during fasting <50% was from the liver with the remainder from the intestine, suggesting that there was increased intestinal α-tocopherol catabolism while d3-α-tocopherol was retained in the intestine in the absence of adequate fat/food for α-tocopherol absorption.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00862433.

[Vitamin and antioxidant properties of tocopherols: characteristic of the molecular mechanisms of action].

The molecular docking method was used to study the structural characteristics determining the competitive transport in the blood, and also the subsequent binding with enzymes of tocopherols and their metabolites to yield a specific biological activity. The target proteins were α-tocopherol-transport protein (α-TTP), tocopherol-associated protein 1 (TAP1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. RRR-tocopherol (α-, ß-, γ- and δ-forms), RRR-13'-carboxychromanol (α-, ß-, γ- and δ-forms) and carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol (α-, ß-, γ- and δ-forms) were used as ligands in this research. The conducted studies confirmed that among all homologues the α-tocopherol had the greatest affinity for the transport proteins α-TTP and TAP1 (ΔG=-11.40 and ΔG=-10.28 kcal/mol, respectively). It was shown that in all cases carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol metabolites had the greatest free binding energy (ΔG>-8 kcal/mol), that was why it has been concluded that they were not effective ligands for the proteins under study. In contrast, the metabolites of 13'-carboxychromanol, when bound to both α-TTP and TAP1 proteins, preferentially formed more stable complexes than their precursors. It was shown for the first time that γ-13'-carboxychromanol with TAP1 has less free binding energy (ΔG=-10.64 kcal/mol) in comparison to the α-tocopherol complex (ΔG=-10.28 kcal/mol). It has also been shown that 13'-carboxychromanole metabolites were more efficiently bound to COX-2 enzymes (ΔG=-9.56 kcal/mol for α-13'-carboxychromanol complex) and HMG-CoA reductase (ΔG=-9.46 kcal/mol for the complex with δ-13'-carboxychromanol). In relation to the PP2A protein, 13'-carboxychromanol metabolites had similar affinities as their precursors. The results of the work indicate the possibility of 13'-carboxychromanols to competitively bind to α-tocopherol transporters and act as effective ligands of COX-2 and HMG-CoA, that can be used to correct nutritional status in conditions accompanied by deficiency of tocopherols.

Stability of antioxidant vitamins in whole human blood during overnight storage at 4°C and frozen storage up to 6 months.

To determine optimal conditions for blood collection during clinical trials, where sample handling logistics might preclude prompt separation of erythrocytes from plasma, healthy subjects (n=8, 6 M/2F) were recruited and non-fasting blood samples were collected into tubes containing different anticoagulants (ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA), Li-heparin or Na-heparin). We hypothesized that heparin, but not EDTA, would effectively protect plasma tocopherols, ascorbic acid, and vitamin E catabolites (α- and γ-CEHC) from oxidative damage. To test this hypothesis, one set of tubes was processed immediately and plasma samples were stored at -80°C, while the other set was stored at 4°C and processed the following morning (~30 hours) and analyzed, or the samples were analyzed after 6 months of storage. Plasma ascorbic acid, as measured using HPLC with electrochemical detection (LC-ECD) decreased by 75% with overnight storage using EDTA as an anticoagulant, but was unchanged when heparin was used. Neither time prior to processing, nor anticoagulant, had any significant effects upon plasma α- or γ-tocopherols or α- or γ-CEHC concentrations. α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations remained unchanged after 6 months of storage at -80°C, when measured using either LC-ECD or LC/mass spectrometry. Thus, refrigeration of whole blood at 4°C overnight does not change plasma α- or γ-tocopherol concentrations or their catabolites. Ascorbic acid is unstable in whole blood when EDTA is used as an anticoagulant, but when whole blood is collected with heparin, it can be stored overnight and subsequently processed.

Metabolic syndrome increases dietary α-tocopherol requirements as assessed using urinary and plasma vitamin E catabolites: a double-blind, crossover clinical trial.

Background: Vitamin E supplementation improves liver histology in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which is a manifestation of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We reported previously that α-tocopherol bioavailability in healthy adults is higher than in those with MetS, thereby suggesting that the latter group has increased requirements.Objective: We hypothesized that α-tocopherol catabolites α-carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol (α-CEHC) and α-carboxymethylbutyl hydroxychromanol (α-CMBHC) are useful biomarkers of α-tocopherol status.Design: Adults (healthy or with MetS; n = 10/group) completed a double-blind, crossover clinical trial with four 72-h interventions during which they co-ingested 15 mg hexadeuterium-labeled RRR-α-tocopherol (d6-α-T) with nonfat, reduced-fat, whole, or soy milk. During each intervention, we measured α-CEHC and α-CMBHC excretions in three 8-h urine collections (0-24 h) and plasma α-tocopherol, α-CEHC, and α-CMBHC concentrations at various times ≤72 h.Results: During the first 24 h, participants with MetS compared with healthy adults excreted 41% less α-CEHC (all values are least-squares means ± SEMs: 0.6 ± 0.1 compared with 1.0 ± 0.1 µmol/g creatinine, respectively; P = 0.002), 63% less hexadeuterium-labeled (d6)-α-CEHC (0.04 ± 0.02 compared with 0.13 ± 0.02 µmol/g creatinine, respectively; P = 0.002), and 58% less d6-α-CMBHC (0.017 ± 0.004 compared with 0.041 ± 0.004 µmol/g creatinine, respectively; P = 0.0009) and had 52% lower plasma d6-α-CEHC areas under the concentration curves [area under the curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24h): 27.7 ± 7.9 compared with 58.4 ± 7.9 nmol/L × h, respectively; P = 0.01]. d6-α-CEHC peaked before d6-α-T in 77 of 80 paired plasma concentration curves. Urinary d6-α-CEHC 24-h concentrations were associated with the plasma AUC0-24 h of d6-α-T (r = 0.53, P = 0.02) and d6-α-CEHC (r = 0.72, P = 0.0003), and with urinary d6-α-CMBHC (r = 0.88, P < 0.0001), and inversely with the plasma inflammation biomarkers C-reactive protein (r = -0.70, P = 0.0006), interleukin-10 (r = -0.59, P = 0.007), and interleukin-6 (r = -0.54, P = 0.01).Conclusion: Urinary α-CEHC and α-CMBHC are useful biomarkers to noninvasively assess α-tocopherol adequacy, especially in populations with MetS-associated hepatic dysfunction that likely impairs α-tocopherol trafficking. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01787591.