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Advanced Medical Research, Madison, WI 53719;
*
Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology and the Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024; and
Department of Pathology, University of Illinois, Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612
2To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: nqureshi{at}mhub.facstaff.wisc.edu.
We are studying novel tocotrienols, which have a number of activities
that might interfere with the formation of atherosclerotic placques,
including hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and
antiproliferation effects. This study compared the effects of
-tocopherol, the tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF25)
and didesmethyl tocotrienol (d-P25-T3) of
rice bran on the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic lesions in C57BL/6
apolipoprotein (apo)E-deficient (-/-) mice. These mice are an
excellent model because they become hyperlipidemic even when they
consume a low fat diet and they develop complex atherosclerotic lesions
similar to those of humans. These compounds were also tested in
wild-type C57BL/6 apoE (+/+) and (+/-) mice fed low or high fat
diets. When a high fat diet was supplemented with
-tocopherol,
TRF25 or d-P25-T3 and fed to
mice (+/+) for 24 wk, atherosclerotic lesion size was reduced 23%
(P = 0.33), 36% (P = 0.14) and
57% (P < 0.02), respectively, and in mice (+/-)
fed for 18 wk, lesions were reduced by 19% (P = 0.15), 28% (P < 0.01) and 33% (P
< 0.005), respectively, compared with mice fed a control diet. A
low fat diet did not cause atherosclerotic lesions in these mice. The
low fat diet supplemented with TRF25 or
d-P25-T3 fed to apoE-deficient (-/-)
mice for 14 wk decreased atherosclerotic lesion size by 42%
(P < 0.04) and 47% (P < 0.01), respectively, whereas
-tocopherol supplementation resulted in
only an 11% (P = 0.62) reduction. These results
demonstrate the superior efficacy of tocotrienols compared with
-tocopherol. Although tocotrienols decreased serum triglycerides,
total and LDL cholesterol levels, the decreases in atherosclerotic
lesions seem to be due to the other activities. Serum tocol
concentrations in various groups are also described. This is the first
report of a significant reduction in the atherosclerotic lesion size in
all three genotypes of apoE mice fed a novel tocotrienol
(d-P25-T3) of rice bran. Dietary tocotrienol
supplements may provide a unique approach to promoting cardiovascular
health.
KEY WORDS: C57BL/6 apoE-deficient (-/-) mice novel tocotrienols (TRF25, d-P25-T3) atherosclerotic lesions serum cholesterol triglycerides
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