Nutritional status and immune responses in mice with murine AIDS are normalized by vitamin E supplementation.
Female C57BL/6 mice were infected with LP-BM5 retrovirus, causing murine AIDS, which is functionally similar to human AIDS. Vitamin E effects on immune functions, cytokine production and nutritional concentrations in retrovirus-infected mice were determined. Retrovirus infection inhibited release of interleukin-2 (IL) and interferon-gamma (IFN) and some immune functions, whereas it stimulated secretion of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and immunoglobulin (Ig) production. Furthermore, retrovirus infection induced some nutritional deficiencies in the tissues. A 15-fold increase in dietary vitamin E largely restored concentrations of some micronutrients (vitamins A and E, zinc and copper) in the liver, intestine, serum and thymus. It also partially restored production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma by splenocytes. Retrovirus-induced elevated production of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 by splenocytes in vitro was normalized by vitamin E. Elevated release of IL-6, TNF-alpha, IgA and IgG produced by splenocytes in vitro during murine AIDS were also completely or partially normalized by vitamin E. Vitamin E also prevented retrovirus-induced suppression of splenocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity. These data indicate that vitamin E supplementation during murine AIDS can help to ameliorate the disorders during murine AIDS, suggesting vitamin E usefulness in treatment of AIDS in humans.
Wang
Y
Y
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
Huang
D S
DS
Liang
B
B
Watson
R R
RR
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014810:Vitamin E; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma