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document
Oxidative DNA damage measured in human lymphocytes : large differences between sexes and between countries , and correlations with heart disease mortality rates . The 'antioxidant hypothesis ' proposes that vitamin C , vitamin E , carotenoids , and other antioxidants occurring in fruit and vegetables afford protection against heart disease and cancer by preventing oxidative damage to lipids and to DNA , respectively . To test elements of this hypothesis , we have measured blood levels of dietary antioxidants , and 8-oxodeoxyguanosine ( 8-oxo-dG ) concentrations in lymphocyte DNA , in healthy men and women from five European countries : France , Ireland , The Netherlands , Spain , and the U.K . Volunteers , aged 25 45 , all nonsmokers , gave blood samples before and after a 12-wk carotenoid supplementation regime . Vitamin C was measured in plasma and vitamin E and carotenoids were measured in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC ) . 8-oxo-dG was assayed by HPLC ( with coulometric detection ) in DNA isolated from lymphocytes from the same blood samples . Mean values were calculated for groups of volunteers at each sampling time according to country , sex , and supplementation ( between 9 and 24 individual samples contributing to each mean ) . We found that 8-oxo-dG levels in lymphocyte DNA vary significantly according to sex and country . A low mean 8-oxo-dG concentration is seen in DNA of women from all five countries , and of men from France and Spain . 8-oxo-dG is significantly higher ( up to about threefold ) in lymphocyte DNA from men in Ireland and the U.K. Oxidative DNA damage is not significantly affected by carotenoid supplementation ; nor is there any association with mean baseline levels of antioxidants , which are generally similar in the five countries . The five countries sampled lie on an axis from northern to southern Europe with a steep gradient in terms of premature heart disease . There is a strong association between premature coronary heart disease mortality in men and the mean levels of 8-oxo-dG for the five countries ( r = 0.95 , P < 0.01 ) . Women have low coronary heart disease mortality rates , which do not correlate with 8-oxo-dG . In terms of cancer deaths , only colorectal cancer in men shows a significant positive correlation ( r = 0.91 , P < 0.05 ) , and stomach cancer in women is negatively correlated with DNA oxidation ( r = -0.92 , P = 0.01 ) .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
vitamin C , vitamin E , carotenoids
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Intervention_Pharmacological
antioxidants
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Intervention_Pharmacological
8-oxodeoxyguanosine
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Intervention_Pharmacological
lymphocyte DNA
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Intervention_Physical
12-wk carotenoid supplementation regime
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Intervention_Pharmacological
liquid chromatography
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Outcome_Physical
8-oxo-dG levels in lymphocyte DNA
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Outcome_Physical
mean 8-oxo-dG concentration
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Outcome_Physical
8-oxo-dG
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Outcome_Physical
Oxidative DNA damage
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Outcome_Physical
mean baseline levels of antioxidants
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Outcome_Mortality
premature coronary heart disease mortality
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Outcome_Mortality
coronary heart disease mortality rates
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Outcome_Other
significant positive correlation
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Outcome_Physical
stomach cancer
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Participant_Sex
men
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Participant_Sex
women
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Participant_Age
25 45