The preventive effects of sesamin, a lignan from sesame oil, and vitamin E on hypertension and thrombosis were examined using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). At 5 weeks of age the animals were separated into four groups: (i) a control group; (ii) a vitamin E group, which was given a 1,000 mg α-tocopherol/kg diet; (iii) a sesamin group, given a 1,000 mg sesamin/kg diet; and (iv) a vitamin E plus sesamin group, given a 1,000 mg α-tocopherol plus 1,000 mg sesamin/kg diet for 5 weeks from 5 to 10 weeks of age. Resting blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method once weekly. A closed cranial window was created and platelet-rich thrombi were induced in vivo using a helium-neon laser technique. The number of laser pulses required for formation of an occlusive thrombus was used as an index of thrombotic tendency. In control rats, systolic blood pressure and the amount of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) became significantly elevated with age. However, the elevation in blood pressure and 8-OHdG were significantly suppressed in rats administrated vitamin E, sesamin, or vitamin E plus sesamin. At 10 weeks, the number of laser pulses required to induce an occlusive thrombus in arterioles of the control group was significantly lower than in the other groups (p<0.05). These results indicate that chronic ingestion of vitamin E and sesamin attenuated each of elevation in blood pressure, oxidative stress and thrombotic tendency, suggesting that these treatments might be beneficial in the prevention of hypertension and stroke. (Hypertens Res 2001; 24: 735-742)