title: Dietary lutein but not astaxanthin or beta-carotene increases pim-1 gene expression in murine lymphocytes.
abstract: This study investigates the effect of dietary carotenoids on pim-1 gene expression in mouse splenocytes. Female BALB/c mice were fed 0%, 0.02%, or 0.4% astaxanthin, beta-carotene, and lutein for two weeks. Plasma and liver were obtained for the analysis of carotenoids. Splenocytes were isolated and cultured in the presence of concanavalin A, and the level of pim-1 mRNA was determined by Northern blot analysis. None of the carotenoids were detectable in the plasma and liver of unsupplemented mice. In plasma the concentration of astaxanthin (4.9-54.7 mumol/l) was dramatically higher than that of lutein (1.4-2.0 mumol/l) and beta-carotene (0.1-0.7 mumol/l). Carotenoid uptake by the spleen but not the liver reflected that observed in plasma. In mice fed 0.4% of each carotenoid, the absolute concentration of the carotenoid in the liver was highest for astaxanthin (24 nmol/g) followed by beta-carotene (7.5 nmol/g) and lutein (1.58 nmol/g). Mice fed lutein showed a dose-related increase in pim-1 mRNA expression. The steady-state level of pim-1 mRNA in mice fed 0.4% lutein was sixfold higher than in mice fed 0.02% lutein. In contrast, dietary astaxanthin and beta-carotene did not affect pim-1 expression. Therefore, an increase in pim-1 mRNA was observed in splenocytes stimulated with concanavalin A in lutein-fed mice. This appears to be a unique effect of lutein and may be associated with its antitumor activity observed in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-6320, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Magnuson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D014975:Lutein / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; C005948:astaxanthine; C496636:Pim1 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; D014975:Lutein