title: Dietary vitamin E modulation of cytokine production by splenocytes and thymocytes from alcohol-fed mice.
abstract: As vitamin E enhances immune responses, it may reduce dietary ethanol (EtOH)-induced immune suppression, thereby favorably affecting host disease resistance. The effects of dietary vitamin E at higher level in alcohol-fed female C57BL/6 mice was determined via in vitro cytokine production by splenocytes and thymocytes, and some other immune functions. A 15-fold increase of vitamin E (160 IU/liter) in a liquid diet (National Council Research), with or without EtOH (4.5%, v/v), was fed to mice for 10 weeks. Vitamin E supplementation restored production of interleukin-2, -5, -6, -10, and interferon-gamma by concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocytes and interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes, which were suppressed by dietary EtOH. However, it had no effect on interleukin-4 secretion, which was also reduced by splenocytes from EtOH-fed mice. Vitamin E supplementation also restored EtOH-suppressed, mitogen-induced splenocyte proliferation, but not thymocyte proliferation, although it slightly increased production of immunoglobulin A and G by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes, which were suppressed by dietary EtOH. Dietary vitamin E, furthermore, significantly increased interleukin-2 and -6 secretion by Con A-stimulated thymocytes, which were suppressed by dietary EtOH, although it had no effect on interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma production by Con A-stimulated thymocytes from EtOH-fed mice. These data suggest that dietary vitamin E supplementation can modulate dysregulation of cytokines initiated by dietary EtOH and restore immune dysfunctions induced by EtOH ingestion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D014810:Vitamin E