Abstract
Cultured vascular endothelial cells were injured by the oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide, and their cell viability was decreased, whereas thrombomodulin level in the medium was increased. These oxidative injuries of vascular endothelial cells were suppressed significantly in the early stage of comparatively weak oxidative stress, by the addition of natural β-carotene which is one of the antioxidative vitamins. The value of thrombomodulin in the blood of habitual users of natural β-carotene was lower than that of normal healthy adults (p=0.06), and in the latter case, the value of lower than that of normal healthy adults (p=0.06), and in the latter case, the value of thrombomodulin in the blood tends to correlate with the age (p=0.05). These results seem to be due to the protective effect of natural β-carotene on the injuries to vascular endothelial cells induced by oxidative stress during aging.
