title: Supplementation with vitamins C and E enhances cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in healthy adults.
abstract: The effect of supplementation with vitamins C and E on cytokine production of healthy adult volunteers was studied in a single-blind trial. Ten subjects in each group received daily vitamin C (1 g ascorbic acid), vitamin E (400 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), or vitamins C and E for 28 d. Plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbate, and lipid peroxides as well as the production of cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured before, during, and at the end of the supplementation and 1 wk later. PBMCs were cultured in the presence of absence of lipopolysaccharide for 24 h. The interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in the culture supernates were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Production of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha in the group supplemented with vitamins C and E was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the groups given vitamin E or vitamin C alone. The enhancing effect of supplementation with a combination of vitamins E and C coincided with peak plasma alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate concentrations and the lowest plasma lipid peroxide concentrations (P < 0.05) on day 14. In addition, an in vitro experiment with PBMCs showed that vitamins E and C reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced prostaglandin E2 production and enhanced TNF-alpha production. These results indicate that combined supplementation with vitamins C and E is more immunopotentiating than supplementation with either vitamin alone in healthy adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veteran's General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014810:Vitamin E; D015232:Dinoprostone; D001205:Ascorbic Acid