Patent Application
20050228041
It is believed that the onset and damage occasioned by stroke and other forms of trauma is mediated by the activity of the enzyme 12-lipoxygenase (“12-LOX”). It is likely that 12-LOX is responsible for neuronal death as a result of focal injury due to trauma, and diffuse injury due to Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, epilepsy, and related conditions. The activity of 12-LOX may also be responsible for development of disease in tissues other than the brain; for example, certain skin cancers, such as melanoma; cardiac damage due to cardiac trauma; and muscle degeneration and other disorders associated with HIV infection. Thus, 12-LOX is a potential target for inhibitory agents to prevent or treat diseases and disorders associated with glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. Agents and methods for targeting and inhibiting the activity of 12-LOX are desirable.
Melanoma and other cancers are regulated by complex cellular and biochemical mechanisms. Lipoxygenases have been identified as having central involvement in certain cancers. 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LOX), through its metabolite 12( )-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid [12( )-HETE], has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in experimental melanoma invasion and metastasis, and 12-LOX expression may be important in early human melanoma carcinogenesis. 12-LOX expression was studied during the progression of melanoma from human melanocytic cells to benign and dysplastic naevi to malignant metastatic disease. 12-LOX expression was determined to be low in normal human skin melanocytes and increased expression was observed in melanocytes found in compound naevi, dysplastic naevi and melanomas. Melanomas had higher levels of 12-LOX expression compared with dysplastic naevi, and 12-LOX expression was significantly different between compound naevus and dysplastic naevus melanocytes. These data suggest that 12-LOX may be an important novel marker for cancer progression within the melanoma system, and therefore could be a useful biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma chemoprevention.
Lipoxygenases, including 12-LOX, have also been implicated in cardiac cell death that results from trauma, including neurological and cardiac trauma. Generation of arachidonic acid by the ubiquitously expressed cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) has a fundamental role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis, inflammation and tumorigenesis. 12-LOX catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid (C20:4) to 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which in turn reduces to 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) by glutathione peroxidase. Activation of 12-LOX has been implicated in various pathologies of heart. Accordingly, a therapeutic agent that has an inhibitory effect on 12-LOX is desirable for the treatment of cancers and other disorders and diseases involving 12-LOX.
In accordance with the present invention, therapeutic and prophylactic methods are provided for the treatment of and the prevention of the onset of stroke and other disorders and diseases associated with the activity of lipoxygenases, such as the enzyme 12-lipoxygenase. Also in accordance with the present invention, methods for specifically enhancing the concentrations of tocotrienols in the fetal and neonatal brain are provided. Also in accordance with the present invention, methods of improving or restoring fertility are provided.
Methods for inhibiting 12-lipoxygenase mediated cytotoxicity in a subject are provided, the methods comprising; administering to a subject who is at risk for the development of 12-lipoxygenase mediated cell damage biologically effective amount of tocotrienol. Biologically effective amounts of tocotrienol inhibit the activity of 12-lipoxygenase. The methods are directed to protecting against 12-lipoxygenase mediated cell damage is selected from the group consisting of neuronal damage, cardiac tissue damage, integument damage, development of cancer such as melanoma, and muscle tissue damage.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for treating a subject who has suffered from neurological trauma, comprising; administering to said subject a biologically effective amount of tocotrienol. The methods are particularly useful for treating trauma such as stroke and cardiac trauma.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for preventing the development of melanoma in a subject at risk of developing the same, comprising; administering to said subject a biologically effective amount of tocotrienol.
Also in accordance with the present invention are regimens for the prophylaxis and treatment of cancer, comprising administering to a subject in need of the same a pharmaceutical formulation comprising tocotrienol and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Individuals or subjects in need of such treatment are considered to be at risk for development of cancer due to environmental exposure such as to the sun, or other predispositions to developing cancer, or have been diagnosed with cancer.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for protecting neurons in a fetus comprising the step of administering to a pregnant woman who is gestating said fetus a composition comprising at least one tocotrienol.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for enhancing the concentration of tocotrienol in human fetal brain by administering to a pregnant woman a composition comprising at least one tocotrienol wherein said composition is substantially free of tocopherol.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for enhancing the concentration of tocotrienol in the brain of an human infant. In some embodiments the methods comprise administering a composition comprising at least one tocotrienol to a lactating woman and feeding to the infant the milk produced by said lactating woman.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for enhancing the concentration of tocotrienol in the brain of an adult human subject comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising at least one tocotrienol, wherein the composition is substantially free of tocopherol and wherein the composition is administered in the absence of foods or dietary supplements containing tocopherol. In preferred embodiments the mixture is administered at least one half hours after and at least one half hours before said human ingests foods or food supplements containing tocopherol. Good results have been obtained using the dietary supplement Tocomin.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for improving fertility in an animal in need of the same comprising administering to said animal a clinically effective amount of at least one tocotrienol on a daily basis. Preferably, the tocotrienol is administered daily for a period from 2 weeks to about 16 weeks prior to an intended conception. More preferably, tocotrienol is administered on a daily basis for at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to an intended conception As used in accordance with the methods of the present invention, tocotrienol compositions are administered to subjects, as needed, on a daily basis in single or multiple doses from about 1 to about 1000 mg per dose. Preferably the doses for adults are about 600 mg and are administered from 1 to 3 times per day. A preferred mode of administration is orally in the form of gel caps. The tocotrienols used according to the methods are selected from the group consisting of a-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, δ-tocotrienol, derivatives of these, and mixtures of one or more of these. In some embodiments, the compositions according to the present methods are substantially free of tocopherol.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for restoring fertility to an animal lacking a functional tocopherol transport protein comprising administering to said animal a formulation comprising tocotrienol.
Also in accordance with the present invention are methods for maintaining neurons in primary culture, comprising: providing at least one neuron isolated from an animal; providing culture media comprising at least one tocotrienol; and maintaining said at least one neuron in a vessel containing the culture media.
Also in accordance with the present invention are culture compositions in the form of culture media for maintaining a neuron in primary culture wherein such compositions comprise at least one tocotrienol.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of significant digits and ordinary rounding approaches.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
The term “treatment” as used herein with reference to a disease is used broadly and is not limited to a method of curing the disease. The term “treatment” includes any method that serves to reduce one or more of the pathological effects or symptoms of a disease or to reduce the onset or the rate of progression of one or more of such pathological effects or symptoms.
As used herein, the term “vitamin E” refers generically to all tocopherols and tocotrienols, including tocopherols and their derivatives having the biological activity of RRR-α-tocopherol. In nature, eight substances have been found to have vitamin E activity: α-, β, γ and δ-tocopherol; and α-, β, γ and δ tocotrienol. Often, the term vitamin E is synonymously used with α-tocopherol, although this references is more limited than the intended use of the term vitamin E herein. While D-α-tocopherol (RRR-α-tocopherol) has the highest bioavailability and represents the standard against which all the others are commonly compared, it is only one out of eight natural forms of vitamin E. Tocotrienols, formerly known as ζ, ε or η-tocopherols, are chemically similar to tocopherols except that they have an isoprenoid tail that is unsaturated at three positions, in contrast to the saturated phytyl tail common to α-, β, γ and δ-tocopherol. While α-, β, γ and δ tocopherol are predominantly found in corn, soybean and olive oils, tocotrienols are particularly rich in palm, rice bran and barley oils.
As used herein, the term “tocotrienols” refers to alpha-tocotrienols, beta-tocotrienols, gamma-tocotrienols, and delta-tocotrienols, which were formerly known as and are sometimes alternately known as ζ, ε or η-tocopherols. Tocotrienols are highly labile under oxidative conditions, and thus it is desirable to maintain tocotrienol preparations under low oxygen conditions and to avoid heating. Optimally, tocotrienols for use in pharmaceutical or dietary supplements should be maintained in evacuated dosage units.
Tocotrienols occur largely in palm oil, rice bran oil and barley. While synthetic and natural tocopherols are readily available in the market, natural tocotrienols supply is limited. Crude palm oil which is rich in tocotrienols (800-1500 ppm) offers a potential source of natural tocotrienols. Carotech, Malaysia is the only industrial plant in the world that is able to extract and concentrate tocotrienols from crude palm, oil whereby the use of innovative and novel technology, without the use of solvents maximize the extraction rate with no adverse environmental impact.
Another potential source of tocotrienols is from rice bran oil and its fatty acid distillate. However, unlike crude palm oil, the tocotrienol content in rice bran is very much lower, at about 45-55% of the total vitamin E (tocopherol & tocotrienol) content. The remaining vitamin E is made up of tocopherol. Palm oil is unique in that it contains relatively large concentration of the tocotrienol which accounts for about 75-80% of the total vitamin E. Epidemiological studies have shown that tocopherols especially alpha-tocopherol at high concentration attenuates the cholesterol-suppresive action of the tocotrienols. A such, in order to have the optimal impact of tocotrienols in reducing blood total cholesterol, preparation with low content of tocopherols (<30% of the total vitamin E) is preferred.
Dietary tocotrienols have been shown to be incorporated into circulating human lipoproteins where they react with peroxyl radicals as efficiently as the corresponding tocopherol isomers (Suarna et al., 1993; Serbinova and Packer, 1994). Dietary supplementation with tocotrienol beneficially influences the course of carotid atherosclerosis in humans (Tomeo et al., 1995). Micromolar amounts of tocotrienol, not tocopherol, have been shown to suppress the activity of hydroxy-3 methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, a key hepatic enzyme responsible for cholesterol synthesis (Pearce et al., 1992; Pearce et al., 1994). Tocotrienol has been shown to have superior antioxidant, free radical scavenging effects as compared to tocopherol, perhaps due to better distribution of tocotrienols in the fatty layers of the cell membrane. While tocotrienols have shown better beneficial effects than α-tocopherol, little is known about the exact mechanism of action.
Study results that have been reported prior to the disclosure of the instant invention have shown that the transport, tissue concentration, and relative biologic function of tocopherol and tocotrienol appear somewhat disparate and possibly unrelated (see Proc Soc Exp Biol Med (1993 March) 202(3):353-9). Alpha-Tocopherol transfer protein (alphaTTP), a product of the gene which causes familial isolated vitamin E deficiency, plays an important role in determining the plasma vitamin E level. Examination of the structural characteristics of vitamin E analogs, including tocotrienols, required for recognition by alphaTTP has been reported in which ligand specificity was assessed by evaluating the competition of non-labeled vitamin E analogs and alpha-[3H]tocopherol for transfer between membranes in vitro (see FEBS Lett 1997 Jun. 2; 409(1):105-8). The relative affinities of alpha TTP for the various vitamin E analogs were determined based on the degree of competition with the highest affinity measured for various forms of tocopherol and relatively low affinity for tocotrienol. It was shown that there was a linear relationship between the relative affinity and the known biological activity obtained from the rat resorption-gestation assay. These results indicate that the affinity of vitamin E analogs for alphaTTP is one of the critical determinants of biological activity. Based on the foregoing, as well as other information known in the art regarding the activities of tocotrienols and tocopherols, there is evidence that these forms of vitamin E have different functions and are involved in different biologic mechanistic systems.
Inhibition of 12-Lipoxygenase
Results from the efforts of Applicants as described herein have identified the 12-lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway as being sensitive to tocotrienol. Applicants present the first evidence demonstrating that the glutamate-induced 12-LOX activity is sensitive to nanomolar concentration of tocotrienol. Additionally, Applicants show that 12-LOX deficient primary cortical neurons are resistant to glutamate challenge.
As disclosed herein, 12 LOX, which is implicated in stroke, is effectively inhibited by tocotrienol, and the neurodegenerative effects of 12-LOX activity can be reversed if tocotrienol is administered prior to cell death. Tocotrienols can be used for protection against the damaging effects of focal and diffuse traumas, including stroke, Parkinson's, ALS, epilepsy, and other neuordegenrative disorders and traumas. At concentrations well within the physiologically relevant range, α-tocotrienol exhibits potent neuroprotective properties in HT4 as well as immature primary cortical neurons. Current results confirm a central role of 12-LOX in executing glutamate-induced oxidative toxicity of neurons and offer α-tocotrienol as a promising tool in nutrition-based therapeutics.
Dosage and Administration
The tocotrienol composition is administered to subjects who have suffered or at risk of suffering stroke and other neurological injury, whether focal or diffuse, as a result of trauma, epilepsy, ALS, Parkinsons, and other traumas and disorders. The tocotrienol compositions are administered in a an amount sufficient to achieve reversal of damage and protection from further 12-LOX mediated damage, preferably before the onset of trauma, and on a continual basis. The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 100 mg to 800 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 600 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. The preferred form of delivery is gel caps for oral ingestion. Dosages for juvenile subjects are in the range from about 1-1000 mg per dose, and more preferably in the range from about 50-500 mg per dose, and most preferably 300 mg per dose, at a frequency from about 1 to 3 doses per day.
Prevention and Treatment of Melanoma and other Cancers
12-LOX has been directly implicated in melanoma and certain other cancers. Tocotrienol is disclosed herein to have an inhibitory effect on the function of 12-LOX. Thus, tocotrienols are indicated as pharmaceutical agents for treatment of melanoma and other cancers.
Dosage and Administration
The tocotrienol composition is administered to subjects who have suffered or at risk of suffering melanoma and other cancers, particularly those involving lipoxygenases such as 12-lipoxygenase. The tocotrienol compositions are administered in an amount sufficient to achieve reversal of damage and protection from further 12-LOX mediated damage, preferably before the onset of trauma, and on a continual basis. The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 100 mg to 800 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 600 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. The preferred form of delivery is gel caps for oral ingestion. Dosages for juvenile subjects are in the range from about 1-1000 mg per dose, and more preferably in the range from about 50-500 mg per dose, and most preferably 300 mg per dose, at a frequency from about 1 to 3 doses per day.
Protection of Cardiac Tissue
Dosage and Administration
The tocotrienol composition is administered to subjects who have suffered or at risk of suffering cardiac and other disorders involving lipoxygenases such as 12-lipoxygenase. The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 100 mg to 800 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 600 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. The preferred form of delivery is gel caps for oral ingestion. Dosages for juvenile subjects are in the range from about 1-1000 mg per dose, and more preferably in the range from about 50-500 mg per dose, and most preferably 300 mg per dose, at a frequency from about 1 to 3 doses per day.
Protection of Fetal, Neonatal, and Adult Brain Tissue
Vitamin E in the form of tocopherol is known to improve the status of fetuses and neonates in connection with certain forms of cellular damage. Recent scientific evidence has demonstrated that tocotrienol forms of Vitamin E have cellular effects that are different from those of tocopherols; in neuronal cells, tocotrienols have been shown to be more potent than tocopherols in the prevention of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. According to the academic literature, it has been suggested that dietary α-tocotrienol does not reach the brain, including the brains of fetuses and breastfed neonates. Accordingly, it is desirable to identify methods for the efficient enhancement of tocotrienol levels in fetuses and neonates.
Nutritional supplements for adult humans have long contained vitamin E, predominantly in the a-tocopherol form, and occasionally in the tocotrienol form (albeit typically in amounts that fall well below levels that would be clinically beneficial). There is increasing evidence that tocotrienols confer different benefits than α-tocopherol. However, there is also evidence that uptake and maintenance of beneficial levels of tocotrienols in the adult human brain is difficult to achieve. Accordingly, methods and compositions are desirable to enable the efficient uptake of tocotrienols in the adult brain and other critical tissues.
Consumption of a vitamin E deficient diet for only 2 weeks during pregnancy can substantially lower the vitamin E levels of fetal brain while not affecting the vitamin E levels of adult brain, underscoring the importance of proper levels of this vitamin in the diet during pregnancy. When a pregnant mother is provided dietary supplements of tocotrienol, a higher uptake of the α-tocotrienol form of vitamin E by fetal brain is observed as compared to the adult brain. Thus, fetal brain tocotrienol levels are tightly linked to the dietary tocotrienol intake of the mother. In accordance with this disclosure, dietary tocotrienol is bio-available to the brain of a fetus. Not only is tocotrienol delivered to the fetal brain, but gene expression patterns in response to material dietary tocotrienol suggest that vitamin E in the pregnancy diet favorably influences the gene expression profile of the developing fetal brain.
The disclosure provided herein further shows that in adults, uptake of dietary or pharmaceutically supplemented tocotrienol into the adult brain is partially inhibited by tocopherol. It is believed that this differential uptake of these agents is directed by a shared carrier for transport across the blood-brain-barrier. Tocotrienol uptake can be enhanced through the administration of dietary and supplemental forms of tocotrienol compositions that are substantially free of tocopherol.
Dosage and Administration
The tocotrienol composition is administered to subjects who have suffered or at risk of suffering neuronal damage due to trauma, oxidative stress and glutamate toxicity, birth trauma or asphyxia, including adults, pregnant mothers and fetuses, and juveniles. The tocotrienol compositions are administered in an amount sufficient to achieve protection from damage as a result of the effects of glutamate, oxidative stress, and/or 12-LOX mediated damage, preferably before the onset of trauma, and on a continual basis. The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 100 mg to 800 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 600 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day and are administered in the absence of tocopherol. The preferred form of delivery is gel caps for oral ingestion. Dosages for juvenile subjects are in the range from about 1-1000 mg per dose, and more preferably in the range from about 50-500 mg per dose, and most preferably 300 mg per dose, at a frequency from about 1 to 3 doses per day. Optionally, doses administered to juveniles may lack tocopherol.
Treatment with Tocotrienol to Regain or Enhance Fertility
Numerous studies and products are aimed at the use of vitamin E in the form of tocopherols as part of a nutrition-based regimen of intervention for infertility. However, there is evidence that the effects of tocopherols and other nutritional supplements are not sufficient to inhibit cellular processes that give rise to cell damage. Likewise, certain individuals lack the cellular factors, namely the transport proteins, required for the transport and uptake of tocopherols in tissue such that any beneficial effect of tocopherols is lost in those certain individuals. Thus, the underlying causes of infertility are often not satisfactorily addressed by current nutrition-based and pharmaceutical interventions using the tocopherol form of vitamin E. Accordingly, alternate substances are desirable to provide nutrition-based support for the treatment of infertility.
Tocotrienols may be used in place of or as a supplement to tocopherols in a dietary regimen for the maintenance or resumption of fertility that has been disrupted as a result of to tocopherol mal-absorption or other malfunction in tocopherol uptake or availability. The effects of dietary tocotrienols are long acting in the case of tissues involved in fertility, such as epididymal or abdominal fat or amniotic fluid. Accordingly, an ongoing dietary regimen involving the co-administration of both tocotrienol and tocopherol, is desirable.
Dosage and Administration
The tocotrienol composition is administered to subjects who are experiencing disruption of fertility as a result of to tocopherol mal-absorption or other malfunction in tocopherol uptake or availability. The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 100 mg to 800 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 600 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. The preferred form of delivery is gel caps for oral ingestion. Treatments are preferably administered on a daily basis for at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to an intended conception.
Use of Tocotrienol to Permit Breeding of Tocopherol Transport Protein (TTP) Knock-Out Mice
The uptake and transport of dietary or pharmaceutically supplemented tocopherol from the gut to various parts of the body is directed by TTP. In order to understand and distinguish the important roles of tocopherols and tocotrienols in mammals, knock out mice have been produced in which expression of TTP has been ablated. Interruption of TTP results in loss of fertility in these mice which make it impossible to breed and thus maintain the line for further study. The present disclosure provides the first evidence that use of tocotrienol results in the reversal of TTP-dependent infertility in TTP knock-out mice.
Administration and Dosage
The tocotrienol compositions are administered to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. More preferably, oral dosages are provided to adult subjects in the range from about 1 mg to 500 mg at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Most preferably, dosages of about 50 mg are provided to adult subjects at a frequency of about 2-3 doses per day. Treatments are preferably administered on a daily basis for at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the intended conception.
Tocotrienol as Reagent in Culture of Brain Cells
Primary neurons are isolated from both adult and juvenile tissue, and have a multitude of uses, including therapeutic and research. The successful culture of primary neurons is of central importance to the viability of clinical programs involving the use of primary neurons implantation and treatment of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Likewise, the establishment and maintenance of primary neurons in culture is essential to the conduct of experiments involving neuronal development, differentiation and response to stimuli. These cells are difficult to maintain in culture due to their ultra-sensitivity to the culture environment. In particular, tissues obtained from more aged subjects are more prone to damage and death in a culture environment.
Tocotrienols have been used effectively for the maintenance of brain cells in primary culture in concentrations from about 0.001 to 100 μM, more preferably in the range from 0.01 to 10 μM, and most preferably in the range from about 0.5 to 2 μM. Good results have been obtained with concentrations of tocotrienols at about 1 μM. Primary neurons are useful for biological studies, for potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and for screening drugs. Culture with tocotrienols is particularly useful for neurons from aged subjects since the neuroprotective effects will increase the viability for culture of these otherwise sensitivity cells. Culture with tocotrienols is also useful for stem cells which are intended for use in neuronal applications.
Form and Administration of Tocotrienols
As used herein, the term “biologically effective amount” is an amount sufficient to sufficient to inhibit the activity of 12-LOX. The amount of the tocotrienol required will depend upon the nature and severity of the condition being treated, and on the nature of prior treatments which the subject has undergone and the type of defect or disease being targeted. Ultimately, the dosage will be determined using clinical trials. Initially, the clinician will administer doses that have been derived from animal studies. An effective amount can be achieved by one administration of the tocotrienol composition. Alternatively, an effective amount is achieved by multiple administration of the tocotrienol composition to the subject. The terms “therapeutically effective” and “pharmacologically effective” are intended to qualify the amount of the tocotrienol compositions which will achieve the goal of improvement in disease severity and the frequency of incidence, while avoiding adverse side effects typically associated with alternative therapies. As used herein, the terms “therapeutically effective amount” and “pharmacologically effective amount” mean the total active amount of the tocotrienol compositions that are sufficient to show a meaningful benefit to the subject, i.e., a reduction in disease symptoms associated with neurological trauma or cardiac trauma, or a reduction in tumor size, arrest, inhibition of tumor growth and/or motility or metastasis, and/or an increase in apoptosis, and/or a reduction in the symptoms related to the presence of the tumor, and in the case of infertility, a recovery of the ability to conceive.
The initial dose of the tocotrienol compositions according to the present invention is in the range of 1 mg to 1000 mg at a frequency of about 1 to 3 times per day. While the method of the present relates to the use of the tocotrienols, obviously they may be combined with other therapeutic agents to broaden clinical use. It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the exact dosage and frequency of administration will depend on the particular compounds employed in the methods of the invention administered, the particular condition being treated, the severity of the condition being treated, the age, weight, general physical condition of the particular patient, and other medication the individual may be taking as is well known to administering physicians who are skilled in this art.
In some embodiments the tocotrienol compositions are substantially free of tocopherols. “Substantially free” as used herein refers to a composition comprising one or more tocotrienols that contains less than 1% by weight of one or more tocopherol compounds. Preferably the composition contains less than 0.5% by weight, more preferably less than 0.1% by weight, and most preferably less than 0.01% by weight of one or more tocopherol compounds.
Compositions containing tocotrienols may be administered via oral, intravenous, intramuscular and intraperitoneal routes. Preferably, the compositions are administered either orally or intravenously, and most preferably, the compositions are administered orally.
It is envisioned that oral administration will be the primary route for preventive and therapeutic administration of the formulations of tocotrienols, although delivery by injection or topical application may also be used. Pharmaceutical compositions containing appropriate dosages of tocotrienols may be prepared with generally used diluents, excipients, vehicles and additives such as filler, extender, binder, carrier, salt, moisturizing agent, disintegrator, disintegrator retarder, absorption promoters, adsorbent, glidant, buffering agent, preservative, dispersing agent, wetting agent, suspending agent, surfactant, lubricant and others. The compositions may have a variety of dosage forms e.g, gel tabs, solution, suspension, emulsion, injection (e.g., solution, suspension).
Solid compositions including tocotrienols in conventional nontoxic solid carriers such as, for example, glucose, sucrose mannitol, sorbitol, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, cellulose or cellulose derivatives, sodium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Formulations for topical, i.e., transdermal use include known gels, creams, oils, and ointments. Formulation in a fatty acid source may be used to enhance biocompatibility. Furthermore, the composition may contain coloring agents, preservatives, perfumes, flavors, sweeteners and/or other drugs. Injection, solution, emulsion and suspension forms of the tocotrienols are sterilized and preferably isotonic with blood. Such forms may be prepared using diluents commonly used in the art; for example, water, ethanol, macrogol, propylene glycol, ethoxylated isostearyl alcohol, polyoxyisostearyl alcohol and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters. The compositioins may contain sodium chloride necessary to prepare an isotonic solution, glucose or glycerin, as well as usual solubilizers, buffers and soothing agents.
Capsules, also know as dry filled capsules, are oral solid dosage forms in which the compositions are contained in a swallowable container of suitable size, typically made of gelatin. Hard empty capsules suitable for containing the nutraceutical composition of the present invention are available from several sources, for example, Tishcon Gel-Tec, 2410 N. Zion Rd., Salisbury, Md. 21801; the capsules are supplied in two halves and in various sizes. The sizes are typically designated by number and range from 000 at the larger end of the range and 5 at the smallest end of the range. The capsule halves can be colored by a suitable coloring agent and each halve can be the same or a different color.
Among the dosage forms particularly suitable for the method of this invention are soft gelatin capsules. Thus, from 1 mg to 1000 mg of tocotrienols are mixed with a suitable diluent such as a vegetable oil and then encapsulated in a soft gelatin capsule. Other dosage forms include for example suspensions in which the tocotrienols are suspended or dissolved in alcohol with excipients such as flavoring agents.
Where administered intravenously, suitable carriers include, but are not limited to, physiological saline, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and solutions containing thickening and solubilizing agents such as glucose, polyethylene glycol, polypropyleneglycol, and mixtures thereof. Liposomal suspensions including tissue-targeted liposomes may also be suitable as pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. These may be prepared according to methods known in the art.
The inventive compounds may be prepared with carriers that protect the compound against rapid elimination from the body, such as time-release formulations or coatings. Such carriers include controlled release formulations, such as, but not limited to, implants and microencapsulated delivery systems, and biodegradable, biocompatible polymers such as collagen, ethylene vinyl acetate, polyanhydrides, polyglycolic acid, polyorthoesters, polylactic acid, and the like. Methods for preparation of such formulations are known to those skilled in the art.
The invention may be better understood by reference to the following examples, which serve to illustrate but not to limit the present invention.
Alpha-tocotrienol protects HT4 neurons from glutamate-induced death at nM concentrations; this protection is independent of α-tocotrienol's antioxidant property (Sen et al., 2000). Referring to
In experiments conducted with HT4 and rat neurons, α-tocotrienol at nM concentrations protects immature primary neurons that have been challenged with standard neurotoxins such as glutamate, L-homocysteic acid, L-buthionine-[S,R] sulfoximine (BSO) and a combination of BSO and arachidonic acid (
Experiments conducted in which HT4 neurons were challenged with glutamate reveal that nM levels of α-tocotrienol not only protect against loss of cell viability but also preserve the normal growth rate of these cells in culture suggesting intact cell function (
Challenging primary neurons with glutamate results in prominent disruption of the axo-dendritic neural network as evident by the staining of β-tubulin, neurofilament and by time-lapse phase-contrast microscopy. Referring to
Pre-treatment of cells with α-tocotrienol not only prevents glutamate-induced neuro-degeneration but maintains neuronal growth in the face of 10 mM glutamate (
First, we tested for the involvement of 12-LOX in the execution of glutamate-induced death in our model. We started by using the 12-LOX specific inhibitor baicalein or BL15. Referring to
Pretreatment of cells with BL15 clearly protected against glutamate induced death of HT4 cells as well as that of primary neurons
Vitamin E and its analogs are known to be potent inhibitors of 5-LOX (37). This effect is independent of the antioxidant property of vitamin E. Vitamin E is also known to inhibit 15-LOX activity by specifically complexing with the enzyme protein (38). A central role of inducible 12-LOX has been proposed in the execution of glutamate-induced neuronal death (16,20). Thus, we sought to examine whether vitamin E αtocotrienol protects glutamateinduced neurodegeneration by inhibiting 12-LOX activity.
A central role of inducible 12-LOX has been proposed in the execution of glutamate-induced neuronal death (Li et al., 1997; Tan et al., 2001). Referring to
Neurons isolated from 12-LOX deficient mice are resistant to glutamate-induced death (
Referring to
Referring to
Materials and Methods for Examples 2-5.
Materials. The following materials were obtained from the source indicated. L-Glutamic acid monosodium salt; arachidonic acid; dimethyl sulfoxide; L-buthionine-[S,R]sulfoximine; L-homocysteic acid (Sigma St. Louis, Mo.); baicalein; 5,6,7,Trihydroxyflavone (BL15; Oxford Biomedical Research, Oxford, M1); tocotrienol (BASF, Germany; Carotech, Malaysia). For cell culture, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, Minimum Essential Medium, fetal calf serum and penicillin and streptomycin (Gibco, Gaithersburg, Md.); and culture dishes (Nunc, Denmark) were used.
Cell culture. Mouse hippocampal HT4 cells, were grown in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, penicillin (100 U/ml) and streptomycin (100 μg/ml) at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere containing 95% air and 5% CO2. HT4 cells were provided by Dr. D. E. Koshland Jr. (University of California at Berkeley) (Sen et al., 2000). Primary cortical neurons. Cells were isolated from the cerebral cortex of rat feti (Sprague Dawley; day 17 of gestation) or mouse feti (C57BL/6 mice, day 14 of gestation) as described (Murphy et al., 1990). For 12-LOX knockout studies, neurons were isolated from the feti of B6.129S2-Alox15tm1Fun (Jackson Laboratory, Mich.). After isolation from the brain, cells were counted and seeded in culture plates at a density of 2-3×106 cells per 35 mm plate (Murphy et al., 1990). Cells were grown in Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, 40 μM cystine and antibiotics (100 μg/ml streptomycin, 100 units/ml penicillin, 0.25 μg/ml amphotericin). Cultures were maintained at 37° C. in 5% CO2 and 95% air in a humidified incubator. All experiments were carried out 24 h after plating.
Treatment with neurotoxic agents. Immediately before experiments, culture media was replaced with fresh medium supplemented with serum and antibiotics. Glutamate (10 mM) was added to the media as aqueous solution (Han et al., 1997a; Sen et al., 2000; Tirosh et al., 2000). No change in medium pH has been observed in response to the addition of glutamate. Other agents used to induce death in neuronal cells have been described in the pertinent figure legends.
Vitamin E treatment. Stock solutions (103X of working concentration) of α-tocotrienol was prepared in ethanol. Respective controls were treated with equal volume (0.1%, v/v) of ethanol. α-Tocotrienol was added to the culture dishes either 5 min before glutamate, or after the glutamate treatment as indicated in the respective figure legends.
Determination of cell viability. Viability of HT4 cells was determined using propidium iodide exclusion assay using the flow cytometer as described by us previously (Sen et al., 2000; Tirosh et al., 2000). Because primary neuronal cultures tend to aggregate during flow cytometry, the viability of these cells was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage (Han et al., 1997a) from cells to media 24 h following glutamate treatment using in vitro toxicology assay kit from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, Mo., USA). The protocol has been described in detail in a previous report (Han et al., 1997a). In brief, cell viability was determined using the following equation: viability=LDH activity of cells in monolayer/total LDH activity (i.e., LDH activity of cells in monolayer+LDH activity of detached cells+LDH activity in the cell culture media).
12-Lipoxygenase expression. To over-express 12-LOX in HT4, cells were transiently transfected with plasmid pcDNA 3.1 12-LOX (ResGen, Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif.) or pcDNA 3.1 using Fugene 6 (Roche Molecular Biochemical, Indianapolis, Ind.) as per instructions of the manufacturer. To assess the level of 12-LOX expression, HT4 cells were harvested 24 h after transfection and the protein concentrations were determined using BCA protein reagent. Samples (20 μg of protein/lane) were separated on a NuPAGE™ 4-12% Bis-Tris gel (Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, Calif.) under reducing conditions, transferred to PVDF membrane, and probed with 12-LOX polyclonal antiserum (Cayman chemicals, Ann Arbor, Mich.). To evaluate loading efficiency, membranes were stripped and re-probed with anti-βactin antibody (Sigma St. Louis, Mo.).
Cytosol preparation. Cells (1.7×106) were seeded in 140×20 mm plates. After 12-18 h cells were (2×plates per sample) were washed with ice-cold PBS and harvested by scraping from dishes. Samples were spun at 700 g (4° C., 5 minutes). Buffer (400 μl) containing 10 mM HEPES, pH 7.8, 10 mM KCl, 1 mM, EDTA-Na2, 2 mM MgCl2, 5% glycerol, 1 mM dithiothreitol, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 5 μg/ml leupeptin, 5 μg/ml aprotinin and 5 μg/ml antipain was added to the cell pellet. Samples were resuspened and kept on ice for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes 30 μl of 10% NP40 was added to each sample and samples were vortexed for 30 seconds. This was followed by centrifugation for 20 minutes at 14,000 g at 4° C. The supernatant cytosol was collected and kept in -80° C. The protein concentrations were determined using BCA protein reagent.
Total membrane preparation. Cells (1.7×106) were seeded in 140×20 mm plates. After 12-18 h cells (5 plates per sample) were harvested for total membrane preparation. Total membranes were prepared as described previously (Bashan et al., 1992). After washing with ice-cold PBS, cells were harvested by scraping. Samples were spun at 700 g (4° C., 10 minutes). Buffer (10 ml) containing 20 mM HEPES-Na pH 7.4, 250 mM sucrose, 2 mM, EGTA, 1 mM sodium azide, 100 μM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 μM protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma St. Louis, Mo.) was added to the cell pellet. Samples were homogenized using motor driven homogenizer (15 strokes) at 4° C. Samples were then spun at 760 g (4° C., 3 minutes). After centrifugation, the supernatant was collected and spun at 190,000 g (4° C., 1 h). The resulting total membrane pellet was resuspened in above-mentioned buffer and samples were stored at −80° C. The protein concentrations were determined using BCA protein reagent.
12-Lipoxygenase activity. To investigate whether tocotrienol directly affect the activity of 12-LOX (12-LOX), 10 units of 12-LOX (Biomol Research labs Inc, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) was incubated at room temperature for 15 min with or without tocotrienol as indicated in the respective figure legend. The reaction mixture contained 50 mM Tris HCl, pH 7.4 and 1 mM EDTA. After 15 min, the reaction was initiated by adding 25 μM [1-14C]-arachidonic acid per sample. Samples were kept at 37° C. for 30 minutes. The reaction was terminated by adding 200 μl of ice-cold stop solution containing diethyl ether, methanol and 1 M citric acid at a ratio of 30:4:1 by volume. After mixing, samples were centrifuged and the ethereal extracts were spotted on a silica gel thin layer plate. Thin layer chromatography was performed using a solvent system (diethyl ether, petroleum ether and acetic acid at a ratio of 85:15:0.1 v/v) for 45-60 min at −20° C. Distribution of radioactivity of the substrate and products on the plate were quantified using a imaging analyzer.
Glutathione assay. Glutathione (GSH) was detected using a HPLC-coulometric electrode array detector (Coularray Detector—model 5600 with 12 channels; ESA Inc., Chelmsford, Mass.). Sample preparation, mobile phase and column used for glutathione assay were as previously described (Sen et al., 2000). As an improvement to previously reported methods, the current method implemented a coulometric electrode array detector for the detection of glutathione (Roy et al., 2002). This system uses multiple channels with different redox-potentials. Glutathione was detected at channels set at following potentials: I) 600 mV, II) 700 mV; and II) 800 mV. Signals from channel set at 800 mV were used for quantification (Sen et al., 2002).
12-HETE detection. 12-Hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) from HT4 cells was detected using a HPLC-UV based method (Eberhard et al., 2000). Immunofluorescence microscopy. For immunofluorescence microscopy, primary cultures of rat cortical neurons were plated on 35 mm plates pre-coated with poly-L-lysine. After 24 h, cell were treated with α-tocotrienol or BL15 for 5 minutes and then challenged with glutamate or exposed to glutamate. After 24 h of glutamate exposure, cells were washed thrice in PBS, fixed for 10 minutes at room temperature in 4% paraformaldehyde, and permeabilized with PBS-T (PBS containing 0.2% Triton X-100) for 20 minutes at room temperature. Samples were then rinsed 3× with PBS-T and blocking (2% BSA in PBS-T) was done for 1 h at room temperature. After blocking, samples were incubated overnight at 4° C. with the primary antibody (anti-neurofilament 200 (1:100, Sigma St. Louis, Mo.) or neuronal class III α-tubulin (1:500, Covance Berkeley, Calif.)}. After washing with PBS (3×, 5 min each), the samples were incubated with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated goat anti-mouse or anti-rabbit (Molecular Probes Eugene, Oreg.) secondary antibody for 45 minutes at room temperature. This was followed by three PBS washes, and mounting in aqueous medium. Fluorescent images were collected using a Zeiss Axiovert 200M microscope. Images were acquired using Axiovision 3.1.
Live cell imaging. For live cell imaging, primary cultures of rat cortical neurons were plated on 35 mm plates pre-coated with poly-L-lysine. Live cell imaging was performed for non-treated cells from 8h to 26h (18 h duration) of glutamate exposure because that is the time when morphological changes were most prominent. α-Tocotrienol treated cells were insensitive to glutamate. These cells were imaged from 26h-34h (8 h duration) after glutamate treatment to demonstrate healthy growth pattern. Images were collected once every 15 minutes using a specialized phase contrast Zeiss optics suited for imaging cells growing in routine culture plates. The microscope was fitted with appropriate accessories to maintain the stage at 37° C. and the gas environment comparable to that of the culture incubator. Images were exported to avi video format using Axiovision 4.0.
12-Lipoxygenase model. Homology model construction was carried out on a Silicon Graphics O2 with 300 MHz MIPS R5000, OS IRIX release 6.5. The theoretical model of 12-LOX was built using the Sybyl GeneFold module (v6.8, Tripos, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.). This module employs a BLAST search against the RSCB protein database (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb) to search for possible protein alignments. The module for identifying homologous proteins uses four scoring functions, which include sequence similarity, local interactions, burial similarity and secondary structure similarity. These properties are reflected in combination as an “alignment score”, with a score of 1,000 indicating a perfect alignment with regard to all scoring functions. The target sequence for platelet-type 12-LOX was taken from the NCBI protein database. A BLAST search indicated 97% sequence identity and an “alignment score” of 999.9 with soybean 1-LOX (PDB code 1YGE) (Bernstein et al., 1977), reflecting a similar folding pattern with the target sequence. The structure of LYGE was used subsequently as a template protein for model building using the “backbone method” option in Sybyl. Molecular mechanics calculations were performed using the Tripos force field with a constant dielectric function (ε 2.0) and a non-bonded cutoff distance of 8.0A. The final structure was energy minimized by energy convergence gradient value of 0.05 kcal/mol after assigning the Gasteiger-Hückel charges. The iron atom was then modeled into theoretical model. Protein geometry was checked using PROCHECK (Laskowski, 1993) and was compared to the template protein structure 1YGE.
α-Tocotrienol docking to 12-lipoxygenase. Ligand binding studies were carried out with Autodock (v3.0.5) (Morris, 2001). Autodock is a compilation of three programs, Autotors, Autogrid and Autodock (Goodsell et al., 1996). Autotors facilitates the input of ligand co-ordinates, autogrid pre-calculates a three dimensional grid of interaction energy based on molecular coordinates and autodock performs docking simulations using a Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm. The ligand molecule, a-tocotrienol, was constructed using the Sybyl-Sketch Molecule option, energy minimized and assigned MOPAC charges. Docking was then carried out using standard settings and parameters in AutoDock. Figures for the theoretical model and the dockings were generated using MOLMOL (v2K.2) (MOLecule analysis and MOLecule display) software.
Data presentation. Data shown as bar graphs are mean±SD. Students t test was used to test significance of difference between means. p<0.05 was interpreted as significant difference between means.
Generation of arachidonic acid by the ubiquitously expressed cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) has a fundamental role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis, inflammation and tumorigenesis. 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO) catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid (C20:4) to 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which in turn reduces to 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) by glutathione peroxidase. We have shown that tocotrienols potently inhibit activation of 12-LOX pathway. Activation of 12-LOX has been implicated in various pathologies of heart. The present work was conducted and demonstrated that tocotrienols can protect cardiac cells against activation of 12-LOX pathway.
Assays were performed using primary cardiac fibroblatsts (CF) isolated from adult (5-6 week old) mouse ventricle. Cells were cultured under 5% O2 conditions. Five days after isolation cells were treated with arachidonic acid (50 microM)+buthionine sulfoximine in the presence or absence of 250 nM tocotrienol for 24h. Phase contrast imaging was performed using a Zeiss live cell imaging microscope.
Referring to
Results disclosed herein provide the first global assessment of vitamin E sensitive genes in a developing fetal brain. Of the 8000 genes surveyed, only 17 genes displayed an increase in gene expression levels in fetal brain as a result of vitamin E feeding to mothers, whereas 34 displayed a decrease in expression indicating that a highly specific set of genes are sensitive to the vitamin E levels in a developing fetal brain.
Based on symptoms of primary vitamin E deficiency in adults, it has been demonstrated that vitamin E has a central role in maintaining neurological structure and function. However, efforts to systematically evaluate the molecular basis of vitamin E action on the brain are lacking. Our data show that α-tocopherol level in the fetal brain was multi-fold lower than that observed in the mother brain. This data is in accordance with a previous study where α-tocopherol levels in fetal brain were lower compared to that of the brains of 21-day-old rats. Furthermore, in humans, the serum α-tocopherol levels in full-term neonates are known to be several folds lower (0.212±0.127 vs. 1.160±0.513 mg/dl) compared to that of their mothers. We have previously shown that compared to α-tocopherol, tocotrienols are strikingly more potent in protecting neuronal cells against glutamate-induced degeneration. However, in vivo data demonstrating the availability of dietary tocotrienols in the brain was lacking. The present study provides first evidence that dietary supplementation of TRF during pregnancy leads to a significant enrichment of α-tocotrienol in both maternal and fetal brains. Dietary vitamin E is absorbed in the intestine and carried by lipoproteins to the liver. In the liver, the α-tocopherol fraction is incorporated into very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) by a α-tocopherol transfer protein and then secreted into the bloodstream. A recent study shows that scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), which mediates cellular selective cholesteryl ester uptake from lipoproteins, facilitates efficient transfer of α-tocopherol from high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to cultured cells. Furthermore, in SR-BI-deficient mutant mice, relative to wild-type control animals, there was a significant increase in plasma α-tocopherol levels (1.1- to 1.4-fold higher) that was mostly due to the elevated α-tocopherol content of their abnormally large plasma HDL-like particles. Mechanisms of uptake and transport of tocotrienols in organs and tissues are poorly understood in adults and more so in fetal tissues.
HO-3 was one of the few vitamin E sensitive genes up-regulated in fetal brains. HO isozymes, HO-1, HO-2 and HO-3, are heat shock protein 32 protein cognates with a known function of catalyzing the isomer-specific oxidation of the heme molecule, including that of NO synthase. HO-1 is highly inducible, whereas HO-2 and HO-3 are constitutively expressed. These proteins play a central role in the cellular defense mechanisms. HO activity is responsible for the production of equimolar amounts of CO, biliverdin and free Fe. Recent findings with the HOs suggest that these proteins may serve as an intracellular ‘sink’ for NO. LINE1 was identified to be another vitamin E sensitive transcript. The LINE-1, or L1 family of interspersed repeats accounts for at least 10% of the mammalian genome. Like other interspersed repeat DNA families in genomes of other organisms, L1 is dispersed and amplified throughout the genome by a series of duplicative transposition events. Due to the high copy number of L1 sequences in the genome, L1 is abundantly represented in the RNA population of most cells. However, most of the transcripts that contain L1 are the result of fortuitous transcription and are not intermediates in L1 retrotransposition. This high background of L1-containing transcripts, many of which are truncated and rearranged, makes it difficult to distinguish the transcript encoded by an active L1 element(s). ApoB mRNA was one of top candidates that were lower in E+ group compared to the E− fetal group. ApoB plays a central role in lipoprotein metabolism and exists in two isoforms in plasma, apoB-100 and apoB-48. High levels of apoB and LDL cholesterol have been associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease. An earlier study has shown that administration of TRF (100 mg/day) decreases serum apoB. Tocopherol has been shown to inhibit protein kinase C (PKC) activity in cells. PKC-regulated chloride channel was one of the genes that were suppressed in the E+ group.
Levles of tocopherol in the brains of maternal and fetal rats were determined. Referring to
α-Tocotrienol was below detection limits in the brains of mothers as well as feti of the E31 group. Oral supplementation of TRF for 2 weeks to mothers during pregnancy resulted in delivery of α-tocotrienol to the mother as well as fetal brains. Importantly, incorporation of tocotrienol in the fetal brain was significantly higher compared to that in the mother brain (
The transcriptomes of developing fetal brains from E+ and E− groups were compared using the U34A rat genome high-density oligonucleotide GeneChip array. This array analyzes approximately 7000 full-length sequences and approximately 1000 EST clusters. Using raw data from all replicates available from both groups, a total of six pair-wise comparisons were generated. The average (six pair-wise comparisons) fold-changes of all the genes that were differentially expressed were calculated. Data indicated that a majority of genes remained unchanged (
Select vitamin E sensitive genes identified by the GeneChip approach were verified using conventional semi-quantitative RT-PCR (
Materials and Methods for Examples 7-9.
Pregnant (3 days) rats (10 weeks old; Sprague-Dawley, Harlan, Indianapolis, Ind., USA) were randomly divided into following two groups: (i) E+ group—fed a standard rat chow that is enriched in α-tocopherol (˜200 nmol/g diet). Additionally, this group was supplemented for 2 weeks with a daily gavage of tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) suspended in vitamin E-stripped corn oil (Harlan). A mixture of 110 mg α-tocopherol and 119 mg of α-tocotrienol contained in 1 g TRF was fed to pregnant rats on a per kg body-weight basis. TRF was provided in the form of Tocomin® 50% provided by Carotech Sdn Bhd (Perak, Malaysia); (ii) E− group—fed a vitamin E deficient diet (TD88163, Harlan; α-tocopherol/tocotrienol levels below detection limits) and supplemented with a matched volume of vitamin E-stripped corn oil. All rats were maintained under standard conditions at 22±2° C. with 12:12 h dark:light cycles. All animal protocols were approved by the Institutional Laboratory Animal Care and Use Committee (ILACUC) of the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Sample collection. On 17th day of gestation, body weights of each rat were recorded. Rats were killed. Mother and fetal brains were removed, rinsed in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4 (PBS) and snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. Samples were briefly stored in −80° C.
Vitamin E extraction and analysis Vitamin E extraction and analysis from mother and fetal brains was performed as described previously using a HPLC-coulometric electrode array detector (Coularray Detector—model 5600 with 12 channels; ESA Inc., Chelnsford, Mass., USA) [13]. This system uses multiple channels with different redox-potentials. α, γ- and δ-tocopherols and tocotrienols were detected on channels set at 200 mV, 300 mV, and 400 mV, respectively.
Affymetrix GeneChip probe array analysis Total RNA was extracted by pulverizing the fetal brains in liquid N2 followed by extraction using Trizol (Gibco BRL) [14 and 15]. A further clean up of RNA was performed using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). Targets were prepared for microarray hybridization according to previously described protocols [14]. To assess sample quality the samples were hybridized for 16 h at 45° C. to GeneChip Test-2 arrays. Satisfactory samples were hybridized to Rat Genome arrays (U34A). The arrays were washed, stained with streptavidin-phycoerythrin and were then scanned with the GeneArray scanner (Agilent Technologies) in our own facilities.
Raw data were collected and analyzed using Affymetrix Microarray Suite 4.0 (MAS) and Data Mining Tool 2.0 (DMT) software. The following two approaches were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes: (i) using comparison analysis in MAS, six pair-wise comparisons were generated from replicates of both E+ and E− groups. Average fold-changes were calculated for both up- or down-regulated genes. Genes for which the concordance exceeded 50% in pair-wise comparisons were selected, especially if the gene was detected with redundant probe sets; (ii) T-test was performed using DMT, and genes that significantly (P<0.05) changed (increased or decreased) in the E+ group compared to the E− group were selected. The average difference values of selected genes were loaded into the Cluster and TreeView software [16]. The data was adjusted according to the median center for a clear graphic display of vitamin E sensitive genes.
Reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Expression levels of hemeoxygenase 3 (HO-3), cyclin D1, high-mobility group protein 2 (HMG2), nucleolar phosphoprotein p130 (NOPP140) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA were independently determined using RT-PCR as described previously [17]. In brief, the total RNA (1 μg) was transcribed into cDNA using oligo-dT primer and Superscript II. RT-generated cDNA were amplified by PCR using gene-specific primers as described in Table 1. PCR reaction products were electrophoresed in a 1% agarose gel containing 0.25 μg/ml ethidium bromide. The gel was digitally imaged under conditions of ultraviolet transillumination. Quantification of band intensity was performed using the Scion Image (Scion Corporation) that is based on NIH Image software.
The disclosure of all patents, patent applications (and any patents which issue thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreign patent applications), GenBank and other accession numbers and associated data, and publications mentioned throughout this description are hereby incorporated by reference herein. It is expressly not admitted, however, that any of the documents incorporated by reference herein teach or disclose the present invention.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
While particular embodiments of the subject invention have been described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the subject invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, while the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/493,761, filed Aug. 8, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This work was supported, at least in part, by a grant from the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health, R01—NS42617. The government has certain rights in this invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60493761 | Aug 2003 | US |
