α-Tocopherol Supplementation Decreases Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and P-Selectin Levels in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
- Sridevi Devaraj, PHD1,
- Alberto V. Cabo Chan, Jr., MD2 and
- Ishwarlal Jialal, MD, PHD12
- 1Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Type 2 diabetic subjects have an increased propensity to premature atherothrombosis. α-Tocopherol (AT), a potent antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties at high doses. The aim of the study was to test the effect of natural (RRR)-AT supplementation (1,200 IU/day) on markers of thrombosis, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) in type 2 diabetic patients with and without macrovascular complications (MVCs) compared with matched control subjects.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—The volunteers comprised type 2 diabetic patients with (n=23) and without (n=24) MVCs and matched control subjects (n=25). Plasma levels of PAI-1 and P-selectin were assayed at baseline, after 3 months of supplementation, and after a 2-month washout phase.
RESULTS—Both diabetic groups had significantly increased levels of PAI-1 compared with control subjects (P < 0.025), whereas only type 2 diabetic patients with MVCs had significantly elevated levels of sP-selectin compared with control subjects. AT supplementation significantly lowered levels of PAI-1 and sP-selectin in all three groups. The reduction in PAI-1 levels with AT supplementation was significantly greater in type 2 diabetic patients with MVCs than in those without MVCs (P=0.005).
CONCLUSIONS—Thus, AT therapy decreases markers of thrombosis in diabetic patients and control subjects and could be an adjunctive therapy in the prevention of atherosclerosis.
- AT, α-tocopherol
- CRP, C-reactive protein
- CVD, cardiovascular disease
- ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- IL, interleukin
- CAM, cell adhesion molecule
- MVC, macrovascular complications
- PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
- PVD, peripheral vascular disease
- sP-selectin, soluble P-selectin
- tPA, tissue plasminogen activator
- sICAM, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule
- sVCAM, soluble vascular CAM
Footnotes
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to I. Jialal MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology and Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9073. E-mail: jialal.i{at}pathology.swmed.edu.
Received for publication 24 August 2001 and accepted in revised form 29 November 2001.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
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