Vitamin E supplementation decreases lung virus titers in mice infected with influenza.
Effects of vitamin E (E) supplementation on influenza infection were examined in young and old C57BL/6NIA mice fed 30 or 500 ppm of E for 6 weeks and subsequently infected with influenza A/Port Chalmers/1/73 (H3N2). Old mice fed 30 ppm of E had significantly higher lung virus titers on days 2 and 7 after infection than young mice fed 30 ppm of E. Titers on all 3 days were significantly lower in old mice fed 500 ppm of E than in those fed 30 ppm. Significant effects of E on lung virus titers in young mice were observed on only day 5, but E caused more reduction of virus titers in old than in young mice (25-fold vs. 15-fold). An age-associated decline in NK cell activity was restored by 500 ppm of E in old but not young mice. Pulmonary cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity on day 7 was not affected by age or E. These experiments demonstrate that high doses of E significantly enhance influenza viral clearance in aged mice but only modestly affect young mice.
Hayek
M G
MG
Department of Comparative Biology and Medicine, Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Taylor
S F
SF
Bender
B S
BS
Han
S N
SN
Meydani
M
M
Smith
D E
DE
Eghtesada
S
S
Meydani
S N
SN
D000818:Animals; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014810:Vitamin E