Recent and future work focuses on the benefits and potential risks for the fetus and infant. Pregnant and nursing mice will be fed I3C and the degree of protection or risk to the fetus or infant upon exposure to carcinogens will be determined. This laboratory investigates what is the most effective form of vitamin E in humans and what factors determine its effectiveness. Natural and synthetic alpha tocopherol, the most potent form of vitamin E, have different stereochemistries and are utilized differently, despite having identical antioxidant activities. Additionally, other naturally occurring forms of vitamin E, such as gamma tocopherol and the tocotrienols, are being investigated to assess whether these have specific roles in human nutrition.
Several projects are currently underway.
To evaluate vitamin E activities in humans, natural and synthetic alpha tocopherol labeled with different amounts of deuterium, are administered in equal amounts to human experimental subjects. Then utilization, plasma distribution, tissue concentrations and metabolism of the natural and synthetic alpha tocopherols are measured. Studies of vitamin E metabolism serve to assess whether there is sufficient vitamin E in the face of oxidative stress. Two areas important for the study of vitamin E requirements in the face of oxidative stress are under investigation. It is well known that smokers have increased oxidative stress, but it is unknown whether this leads to increased vitamin E requirements.