Effect of tocopheryl phosphate on key biomarkers of inflammation: Implication in the reduction of atherosclerosis progression in a hypercholesterolaemic rabbit model

Summary 1. Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases with conflicting results reported on the protective effect of this antioxidant. 2. The present study examined the effectiveness of a novel tocopheryl phosphate mixture (TPm), compared with that of alpha-tocopherol (TA) on key pro-inflammatory markers involved in atherogenesis including: IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, PAI-1, TNF-alpha and CRP as well as vascular function and lesion development in rabbits fed with a 2 cholesterol diet. 3. Treatment with TPm caused a significant reduction in the plasma level of all pro-inflammatory cytokines and biomarkers, which appeared to be somewhat dose-dependent. On the other hand, TA treatment, at a dose equivalent to the highest dose used of TPm, only had a significant effect on CRP, IL-6 and IL-8 levels. Both TPm and TA treatment significantly improved vascular function to a similar extent whereas TPm was more effective in reducing lesion development. 4. The relationship of the reduction in these key pro-inflammatory markers appears to follow the improvement in the atherogenic state of these animals indicating that the anti-inflammatory properties of alpha-TPm may potentially be beneficial in inflammatory disease states.