The widespread occurrence of malignant tumors motivates great attention to finding and investigating effective new antitumor preparations. Such preparations include compounds of the vitamin E family. Among them, α-tocopheryl succinate (vitamin E succinate (VES)) has the most pronounced antitumor properties. In this review, various targets and mechanisms of the antitumor effect of vitamin E succinate are characterized. It has been shown that VES has multiple intracellular targets and effects, and as a result VES is able to induce apoptosis in tumor cells, inhibit their proliferation, induce differentiation, prevent metastasizing, and inhibit angiogenesis. However, VES has minimal effects on normal cells and tissues. Due to the variety of targets and selectivity of action, VES is a promising agent against malignant neoplasms. More detailed studies in this area can contribute to development of effective and safe chemotherapeutic preparations.

Vitamin E derivatives are known to act as agents exhibiting cytotoxity against tumor cells. The effect of vitamin E succinate on human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 was investigated in this study using live imaging, immunocytochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. α-Tocopheryl succinate-induced apoptotic cell death in A431 cells was shown to be both dose- and time-dependent. The hyperproduction of reactive oxygen species, changes in size, shape and ultrastructural characteristics of mitochondria followed by the release of cytochromecfrom mitochondria to cytosol were observed. These results suggest that α-tocopheryl succinate induces apoptosis that occurs via the mitochondrial pathway. Mitochondria are shown to be crucial targets in α-tocopheryl succinate-induced caspase-dependent cell death in human carcinoma A431 cells.

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