This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prince, M. R. Articles by MacNichol, E. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prince, M. R. Articles by MacNichol, E. F., Jr

Circulation, Vol 78, 338-344, Copyright © 1988 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Increased preferential absorption in human atherosclerotic plaque with oral beta carotene. Implications for laser endarterectomy

MR Prince, GM LaMuraglia and EF MacNichol Jr
Wellman Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.

Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were pretreated with low- dose, oral beta carotene to determine whether the carotenoid content of plaque could be increased in vivo. Beta carotene-treated patients had a 50-fold increase in their plaque beta carotene level from 0.066 to 3.3 micrograms beta carotene/g plaque. Microscopy and microspectrophotometry demonstrated that plaque from beta carotene- treated patients had higher carotenoid levels and higher absorption (450-500 nm) compared with control specimens, but normal media was unaffected. This demonstration of increased preferential absorption by plaque suggests that selective ablation of atherosclerotic plaque may be enhanced by pretreating patients with oral beta carotene.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Tornwall, J. Virtamo, P. A. Korhonen, M. J. Virtanen, P. R. Taylor, D. Albanes, and J. K. Huttunen Effect of {alpha}-tocopherol and {beta}-carotene supplementation on coronary heart disease during the 6-year post-trial follow-up in the ATBC study Eur. Heart J., July 1, 2004; 25(13): 1171 - 1178. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Leppala, J. Virtamo, R. Fogelholm, D. Albanes, P. R. Taylor, and O. P. Heinonen Vitamin E and Beta Carotene Supplementation in High Risk for Stroke: A Subgroup Analysis of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Arch Neurol, October 1, 2000; 57(10): 1503 - 1509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Leppala, J. Virtamo, R. Fogelholm, J. K. Huttunen, D. Albanes, P. R. Taylor, and O. P. Heinonen Controlled Trial of {alpha}-Tocopherol and {beta}-Carotene Supplements on Stroke Incidence and Mortality in Male Smokers Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., January 1, 2000; 20(1): 230 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]