title: Effect of vitamin E on cell-mediated immune responses and serum corticosterone in young and maturing mice.
abstract: A high vitamin E diet altered cell-mediated immune responses of maturing BALB/c mice. Serum corticosterone concentrations in these animals were also determined because of the pharmacological effect the glucocorticoid hormone has on immune systems. Mice receiving high vitamin E diet (twenty times higher than the vitamin E concentration in control diet) showed significant increase in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity within a week after initiation of the diet. Adult levels of spleen and intestinal ADCC activities were reached at a much younger age in these high vitamin E-treated animals. In addition, there was a good correlation between increase in spleen and intestinal ADCC activities and the significantly lower than control concentration of serum corticosterone in these mice. However, after prolonged consumption of high vitamin E diet, decrease in ADCC activity was observed in these mice. No significant differences in PHA-induced spleen lymphocytes [3H]-thymidine incorporation, along with a decrease in serum corticosterone levels, were observed in mice given either high vitamin E or the control diets throughout most study periods.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D003345:Corticosterone