Effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on murine nasal allergy.
BACKGROUND
Although many studies have reported the effects of dietary vitamin E on the immune response, none so far has assessed its role in nasal allergy.


METHODS
Female BALB/c mice were randomized into two groups and fed a 20% casein diet (control group, 50 mg vitamin E/kg diet) or this diet supplemented with 535 mg vitamin E/kg diet (vitamin E group, 585 mg vitamin E/kg diet) for 4 weeks. During the fifth week, the mice in each group were divided into two subgroups to form a total of four treatment groups: group A (control), group B [control + toluene diisocyanate (TDI) sensitization], group C (vitamin E supplementation), and group D (vitamin E supplementation + TDI sensitization). Groups B and D were treated with two courses of intranasal application of 5% TDI in ethyl acetate, whereas groups A and C were treated with ethyl acetate alone. A week after second sensitization all groups were provoked by applying 2.5% of TDI in the vehicle and nasal allergic responses were observed for 10 minutes. Splenic lymphoproliferation, splenic cell cytokines, and the total serum IgE were measured.


RESULTS
Members of group D had lower (P < 0.01) scores of nasal response and sneezed less frequently (P < 0.01) than those of group B. Similarly, splenic lymphoproliferation and production of IL-4 and IL-5 as well as the total serum IgE levels were lower (P < 0.01) in group D than in group B.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that higher doses of vitamin E supplementation may suppress nasal allergic responses.
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan. k950416@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
K
K
Zheng
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Adjei
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Shinjo
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Shinjo
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Todoriki
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Ariizumi
D000485:Allergens; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011897:Random Allocation; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014810:Vitamin E; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma