Lack of effects of beta-carotene on lipids and sex steroid hormones in hyperlipidemics.

Beta-carotene in doses of up to 300 mg daily raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels within 2 to 4 weeks in healthy subjects. The authors, in this study, investigate the short-term effects of high-dose beta-carotene upon serum lipids, lipoproteins, and selected sex steroid hormones in 59 adult patients with Type IIa or IIb hyperlipidemia and 36 healthy subjects. Volunteers took beta-carotene (300 mg) or wheat germ oil capsules daily for 30 days. Lipids were measured on days 1, 14, 21, and 30. Beta-carotene, retinol, free and total testosterone, and estradiol levels were measured on days 1 and 30. Total high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased 10% (p < 0.01) over baseline in all groups by day 14 but returned to baseline by day 30. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels transiently increased between days 14 and 21 by up to 9%, 8%, and 20%, respectively, only in the patients with hyperlipidemia treated with beta-carotene, but returned to baseline on day 30. Apolipoproteins A and B were unchanged. Despite 20-fold increases of plasma beta-carotene levels there, were no reports of carotenodermia and no alteration in sex steroid hormones, retinol levels, hepatic transaminases, or persistent changes in serum lipids that were attributable to beta-carotene.

Synergistic effects of oral nonsteroidal drugs and topical corticosteroids in the therapy of sunburn in humans.

The ability to modify skin injury due to ultraviolet light (UVB) by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) oral ibuprofen (IB) or indomethacin (IN) plus topical betamethasone dipropionate (BD) was studied in 24 subjects in this open-label, four-way, cross-over trial. All subjects received UVB at weekly intervals: group 1 was randomized to IB, BD, IB + BD or control, and group 2 to IN, BD, IN + BD or control. Oral medications were given prior to and after exposure to UVB, but BD was applied only afterwards. The skin response to UVB [erythema and increased skin blood flow (SBF)] was measured serially for 96 h. A skin biopsy was taken at 24 h after each dosing with UVB. At maximum erythema (8-12 h after UVB), the following approximate reductions in SBF (compared to control responses) were noted: 42-58% for combination therapies, 33-40% for IB or IN alone, and 17% for BD alone. SBF tended to equalize across all treatments by 24 h and remained until 96 h. Skin biopsy results were consistent with the noninvasive findings. Thus, we observed a synergistic effect of reduction of UVB-induced erythema and SBF with combinations of oral NSAIDs and topical corticosteroids. This study could have implications for the therapy of sunburn in humans.