Effect of vitamin E succinate (VES) on hepatic lipids in BALB/c mice injected with LNCaP cells

Abstract

Cancer cells undergo rapid proliferation and are resistant to apoptosis. Vitamin E succinate (VES), the ester form of α-tocopherol, inhibits the growth of several cancer cell lines. In vitro studies show that VES induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation. We have shown that VES injected intraperitonally inhibits the growth of tumors in nude BALB/c mice, injected with LNCaP cells and fed diets containing 7% soybean oil (SO; group 1), 7% SO with VES (group 2), 20% SO (group 3), or 20% SO with VES (group 4). The present in vivo study was done to determine the effect of VES and dietary fat on liver lipid [triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC)] levels. At the termination of the study, liver lipids were extracted with hexane:isopropanol (3:2, v/v) and TG and TC were assayed by standard protocols. Mean hepatic TG concentrations were 7.5±1.6, 8.1±1.2, 8.1±2.3 and 9.0± 2.2 mg/g liver in groups 1–4, respectively. Hepatic TC concentrations were 2.2±1.0, 2.8±0.9, 2.9±1.9 and 4.5±2.4 mg/g liver in groups 1–4, respectively. Thus VES increased liver total cholesterol concentrations in both high and low-fat groups but not triglycerides. This study was supported by Human Nutrition Fund, TWU.