Abstract
Serum concentrations of carotenoids, such as β-carotene, α-carotene, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin, and additionally the concentrations of retinol and α-tocopherol, were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of samples from 90 Japanese (56 males and 34 females) who took part in a mass examination held in 1997. At the same time, their serum lipid peroxides were measured by the hemoglobin-methylene blue (Hb-MB) method. Serum α-carotene, β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, and total carotenoids were significantly higher in females (151.6±23.8pmol/ml, 327.8±58.4pmol/ml, 375.4±97.8pmol/ml, and 1.9±0.3nmol/ml, respectively) than in males (84.1±11.5pmol/ml, 120.0±15.6pmol/ml, 135.0±18.2pmol/ml, and 1.3±0.1nmol/ml, respectively). These differences may be mainly due to increased intake of carotenoids in females. On the other hand, serum lipid peroxides in females were 81% of those in males. There was no correlation between fat-soluble vitamins and lipid peroxides in males and females. In the subjects high in serum total-cholesterol (≥220mg/dl), there was a negative correlation between lipid peroxides and lycopene in the females, suggesting that lipid peroxidation in the serum of females high in total-cholesterol may be inhibited by the fat-soluble antioxidant lycopene.
