title: Vitamin E, immune response, and disease resistance.
abstract: Vitamin E as a dietary supplement or as part of an adjuvant vaccine formulation increases humoral and cell-mediated immunity and disease resistance in laboratory animals, farm animals, and humans. Adjuvant administration has far greater effect than dietary supplementation. Vitamin E as an antioxidant protects the cells of the immune response from peroxidative damage; possibly through a modulation of lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid, vitamin E alters cell membrane functions and cell-cell interactions. The most pronounced effect of vitamin E is on immune phagocytosis. Dietary supplementation is beneficial to animals, especially under stress, in decreasing susceptibility to infections. Vitamin E adjuvant vaccines have provided greater immunoprotection against enterotoxemia and epididymitis in sheep than conventional vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tengerdy
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D014810:Vitamin E