Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical has developed the ViE dialyzer containing a unique vitamin E-interactive polysulfone membrane, VitabranE. Many ESRD patients treated by hemodialysis are reported to suffer from oxidative stress due to elevated levels of free radicals such as reactive oxygen species. Vitamin E is known to be an excellent antioxidant capable of inhibiting damage caused by such free radicals through donating electrons in an oxidation- reduction reaction.The Vitamin E present in VitabranE retains these excellent antioxidative properties.

Features

Vitamin E-interactive membrane
Polysulfone-based membrane retaining APS features

• Sharp cut-off curve
• Excellent clearance of low molecular-weight proteins
• Low albumin loss
• Good biocompatibility
• Less back-filtration of cytokine-inducing substances

Antioxdative characteristics of VitabranE™

As shown in the figures 1-3, which represent in vitro and in vivo results, the vitamin E-interactive membrane has antioxidative properties.
Fig.1：Both the ViE and ViE-L membrane showed the same level of anti-oxidative activity.
Fig.2：VitabranE resulted in less consumption of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) than polysulfone when incubated with blood.
Fig.3：The levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and oxdized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) were reduced during treatment in the VitabranE group compared with the controls.

Fig. 1　Anti-oxidant Activity of ViE and ViE-L ( in vitro )

Anti-oxidant activity of ViE and ViE-L: Horizontal axis shows the antioxidant activity evaluated by Fe³+ reduction, and vertical axis shows the time course of the assay.

(Reference)
Floridi A, et al., Acta Biomaterialia, 5:2974-2982, 2009

Fig. 2 Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) Consumption ( in vitro )

Fig. 3 Significant Reduction of Ox-LDL in Vitamin E Group ( in vivo )

Ox-LDL level has significantly reduced in patients treated with Vitamin E-interactive polysulfone membrane (Vitamin E group) compared to those treated with standard polysulfone membrane (Control group), one month after the start of the study.
The level continued to show significant reduction throughout the study period, at the 3rd, 6th, 12th month intervals, in Vitamin E group.

Ox-LDL and atherosclerosis may be involved in that

(1) it causes endothelial cells to attract monocytes,
(2) it stimulates monocytes to migrate between the endothelium and become macrophages,
(3) it stimulates macrophages to scavenge Ox-LDL and develop into foam cells, and thus
(4) it leads to formation of plagues, which project into the arterial lumen.

Ox-LDL：Oxidized low-density lipoprotein
It is suggested that Ox-LDL is closely related to the onset and development of atherosclerosis.

(References)
Nishimura H, et al., Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Suppl., 2(1):ii314, 2008
Nishimura H, et al., Vitamembrane, 7:47-52, 2007

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