Reifen Ram, Haftel Lior, Faulks Richard, Southon Susan, Kaplan Ilana, Schwarz Betty
The School of Nutritional Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Int J Mol Med. 2003 Dec;12(6):989-93.
Despite interest in the health-beneficial role of carotenoids little is known about the specific storage metabolism and mechanisms involved in various target tissues. The aim of the study was to search for a relatively simple non-invasive method to detect and determine the cellular effects of supplemented dosage of beta-carotene and lycopene to peripheral tissues such as the buccal mucosa in relation to the plasma concentrations. Subjects (30) were allocated into five different subgroups of 6 volunteers. The change in concentration of all-trans-beta-carotene and lycopene in plasma and in buccal mucosal cells was measured in groups of volunteers supplemented with either 15 mg, 30 mg or placebo capsules in a randomised double blind study for a period of 7 days. With the exception of supervised high fat (40 g carotenoid free sunflower oil) breakfasts and capsule ingestion the volunteers ate their habitual diets. Plasma lycopene and beta-carotene concentrations were determined at baseline and following one week of capsule ingestion. In all the supplemented groups the plasma carotenoid levels were significantly higher than in the placebo group indicating absorption of the supplement. Carotenoid concentrations, expressed per unit protein, assayed in buccal mucosal cells before (at baseline) and at the end of the study were found to be significantly higher in the groups supplemented at 30 mg/d, of either carotenoid as compared to the 15 mg/d or placebo supplemented groups. We conclude that buccal mucosal cells respond readily to changes in plasma beta-carotene and lycopene concentration. These observations suggest that dietary carotenoids are quickly incorporated into rapidly turning over mucosal tissues. It is not clear if the change in carotenoid content of the plasma is reflected in existing cells or only in those concurrently produced during the elevated plasma concentration. If desquamated buccal mucosal cells reflect habitual plasma carotenoid concentration then it is not an appropriate tissue for the measurement of acute changes.
尽管类胡萝卜素对健康有益的作用备受关注，但对于其在各种靶组织中的具体储存代谢及相关机制却知之甚少。本研究的目的是寻找一种相对简单的非侵入性方法，以检测和确定补充剂量的β-胡萝卜素和番茄红素对诸如颊黏膜等外周组织的细胞效应，并探究其与血浆浓度的关系。30名受试者被随机分为5个不同的亚组，每组6名志愿者。在一项为期7天的随机双盲研究中，给志愿者分别补充15毫克、30毫克的胶囊或安慰剂胶囊，测量补充前后血浆和颊黏膜细胞中全反式β-胡萝卜素和番茄红素浓度的变化。除了在监督下食用高脂肪（40克不含类胡萝卜素的葵花籽油）早餐和服用胶囊外，志愿者们保持其习惯饮食。在基线期及服用胶囊一周后测定血浆中番茄红素和β-胡萝卜素的浓度。在所有补充组中，血浆类胡萝卜素水平均显著高于安慰剂组，表明补充剂被吸收。研究发现，在研究结束时，每单位蛋白质中所检测的颊黏膜细胞类胡萝卜素浓度，在每天补充30毫克任一一种类胡萝卜素的组中，显著高于每天补充15毫克或补充安慰剂的组。我们得出结论，颊黏膜细胞对血浆β-胡萝卜素和番茄红素浓度的变化反应迅速。这些观察结果表明，膳食类胡萝卜素能迅速被纳入快速更新的黏膜组织中。目前尚不清楚血浆中类胡萝卜素含量的变化是反映在现有细胞中，还是仅反映在血浆浓度升高期间同时产生的细胞中。如果脱落的颊黏膜细胞反映的是习惯性血浆类胡萝卜素浓度，那么它就不是用于测量急性变化的合适组织。
