beta-carotene and Muscular-Diseases

The antioxidant status of alcoholic patients was assessed by direct measurement of the plasma antioxidants alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene and of selenium as a marker of glutathione peroxidase. Overall, the alcoholic group showed significant decreases in the mean plasma values of beta-carotene, zinc and selenium when compared to the control subjects. When the patients were subdivided according to their liver histology, beta-carotene showed a progressive decrease in plasma concentration with increasing liver damage, whereas alpha-tocopherol levels were only depleted in the patients with cirrhosis. There were significant decreases in the plasma concentrations of both alpha-tocopherol and selenium in all patients with alcoholic skeletal muscle myopathy, whereas patients with normal muscle biopsies showed adequate antioxidant status. Such results support a role for free radical-mediated damage in end organ injury, particularly myopathy, in alcohol misusers.

Topics: Adult; Alcoholism; Antioxidants; beta Carotene; Biopsy; Carotenoids; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic; Female; Humans; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic; Liver Function Tests; Male; Middle Aged; Muscles; Muscular Diseases; Selenium; Vitamin A; Vitamin E