Cardiovascular Diabetology (Feb 2007)

Pro-oxidant effect of α-tocopherol in patients with Type 2 Diabetes after an oral glucose tolerance test – a randomised controlled trial

  • Winterbone Mark S,
  • Sampson Mike J,
  • Saha Shikha,
  • Hughes Jackie C,
  • Hughes David A

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2840-6-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
p. 8

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background As a part of a larger study investigating the effects of α-tocopherol on gene expression in type 2 diabetics we observed a pro-oxidant effect of α-tocopherol which we believe may be useful in interpreting outcomes of large intervention trials of α-tocopherol. Methods 19 type 2 diabetes subjects were randomised into two groups taking either 1200 IU/day of α-tocopherol or a matched placebo for 4 weeks. On day 0 and 29 of this study oxidative DNA damage was assessed in mononuclear cells from fasted blood samples and following a 2 h glucose tolerance test (GTT). Results On day 0 there was no significant difference in oxidative DNA damage between the two groups or following a GTT. On day 29 there was no significant difference in oxidative DNA damage in fasted blood samples, however following a GTT there was a significant increase in oxidative DNA damage in the α-tocopherol treatment group. Conclusion High dose supplementation with α-tocopherol primes mononuclear cells from patients with type 2 diabetes for a potentially damaging response to acute hyperglycaemia.