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Background: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) generates reactive oxygen species in skin that can play a role in skin damage, but reports about the photoprotective properties of oral antioxidant supplements are conflicting. Objective: We examined the ability of 2 lipid-soluble antioxidants, vitamin E and [beta]-carotene, to reduce markers of oxidative stress and erythema in human skin exposed to UVR. Design: Sixteen healthy subjects took either [alpha]-tocopherol (n = 8; 400 IU/d) or [beta]-carotene (n = 8; 15 mg/d) for 8 wk. Biopsy samples before and after supplementation were taken from unexposed skin and skin 6 h after 120 mJ/[cm.sup.2] UVR. The effects of supplements on markers of oxidative stress in skin and the minimal erythema dose to UVR were assessed. Results: Supplementary vitamin E was bioavailable, the plasma concentration increased from 14.0 [+ or -] 0.66 ([bar.x] [+ or -] SEM) to 18.2 [+ or -] 0.64 [micro]g/mL (P < 0.01), and the skin concentration increased from 0.55 [+ or -] 0.09 to 1.6 [+ or -] 0.19 ng/mg protein (P < 0.01). Supplementary [beta]-carotene increased plasma concentrations from 1 [+ or -] 0.3 to 2.25 [+ or -] 0.3 [micro]g/mL (P < 0.05), but skin concentrations were undetectable. Before vitamin E supplementation, UVR increased the skin malondialdehyde concentration from 0.42 [+ or -] 0.07 to 1.24 [+ or -] 0.16 nmol/mg protein (P < 0.01), whereas oxidized or total glutathione increased from 9.98 [+ or -] 0.4% to 12.0 [+ or -] 1.0% (P < 0.05). Vitamin E supplementation significantly decreased the skin malondialdehyde concentration, but neither vitamin E nor [beta]-carotene significantly influenced other measures of oxidation in basal or UVR-exposed skin. Conclusions: Vitamin E or [beta]-carotene supplementation had no effect on skin sensitivity to UVR. Although vitamin E supplements significantly reduced the skin malondialdehyde concentration, neither supplement affected other measures of UVR-induced oxidative stress in human skin, which suggested no photoprotection of supplementation. KEY WORDS Lipid-soluble vitamins, oxidative stress, skin, photoprotection, human study

Eight new directions in retirement plans have emerged that are altering the nature of corporate retirement programs. For one, businesses will continue to re-assess and alter their retirement plans in the face of an increasingly diversified workforce. Second, fewer workers are opting not to retire at age 55 because of several factors, such as the increase in Social Service retirement. Third, business and workforce aims are changing, fourth, most firms continue to provide both defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans and fifth, retirement plans are becoming more comparable and more portable across countries. Sixth, more workers are making decisions regarding their retirement plans and consequently are becoming more demanding of options. Seventh, firms are increasingly treating their workers as customers, and eighth, the government is becoming less involved in retirement plan affairs.

Presents the text of a speech given by Frank B. McArdle, director of Education and Communications at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, on December 3, 1986, which deals with the implication of a tax reform legislation for employee benefits in the U.S.