Acute Tocomin treatment improves endothelium‐dependent relaxation in aortae from diabetic and western diet fed rats. (1051.11)

Abstract

Tocotrienols, components of vitamin E, may have beneficial effects on vascular function in pathologies involving oxidant stress eg: diabetes. Tocomin (Toc) is an extract of palm oil with high tocotrienol content. We investigated the effect of acute Toc (10‐4 mg/mL) treatment on endothelium‐dependent relaxation (EDR) and superoxide (O2‐) production in aortae from diabetic rats and rats fed a standard (SD) or western (WD) diet. Wistar rats were treated with vehicle (control (C)) or streptozotocin (50 mg/kg iv) to induce diabetes (D) for 10 weeks. Wistar Hooded rats were fed SD (7% total fat) or WD (21% total fat). Rats were fed ad lib for 7 weeks after which they were placed on a restricted diet (70% of normal consumption for 10 weeks). EDR and O2‐ were measured using standard organ bath techniques and enhanced chemiluminescence. Diabetes impaired EDR which improved with Toc treatment (ACh Rmax C 855% vs D 644% vs D+T 873%, p0.05), whereas WD reduced ACh sensitivity that improved with Toc treatment (ACh pEC50 SD 7.200.14 vs WD 6.800.09 vs WD+T 7.270.12, p0.05). O2‐ production was increased in the diabetic and WD rat aortae and decreased with Toc treatment (C 57375 vs D 1053111 vs D+T 52858 and SD 518125 vs WD 953114 vs WD+T 31277 O2‐ counts/mg dry tissue, p0.05). Acute tocomin treatment improves EDR associated with decreased O2‐ production in aortae from diabetic and WD rats.Grant Funding Source: Nutricia Foundation