Reducing lipid peroxidation stress of erythrocyte membrane by alpha-tocopherol nicotinate plays an important role in improving blood rheological properties in type 2 diabetic patients with retinopathy.

The effects of alpha-tocopherol nicotinate on blood viscoelasticity and viscosity and on lipid peroxidation stress in erythrocyte membranes in patients with Type 2 DM were investigated. Thirteen Type 2 diabetic subjects with retinopathy were given alpha-tocopherol nicotinate 300 mg tds, after meals, for 3 months. The treatment resulted in significant reductions of blood viscosity at different shear rates (e.g. -2.23 +/- 2.82 p<0.015, gamma = 1.5 s(-1)) and viscoelasticity (p<0.004); resistance of erythrocyte deformation (p<0.001) and lipid peroxidation stress in red cell membrane (malondialdehyde or MDA reduced by 0.17 +/- 0.13 nmol l(-1) p<0.005). Plasma viscosity, red cell rigidity, and HbA1c were unchanged. There were negative linear correlations between the indices of red cell deformability and the levels of MDA of red cell membrane both pre- and post-treatment (e.g. R = -0.79, p<0.001; R = -0.78, p<0.002, n = 13; pre- and post-, respectively). We suggest that the improvements of rheological properties of blood and red cell deformability by alpha-tocopherol nicotinate are mainly attributed to reducing lipid peroxidation stress on membrane of red blood cells. The treatment may be useful in slowing deterioration of microangiopathy in Type 2 DM.