title: Natural cytotoxic activity in seabream (Sparus aurata L.) and its modulation by vitamin C.
abstract: Isolated gilthead seabream head-kidney leucocytes were incubated in a culture medium supplemented with vitamin C (from 0-control-to 2 mg ml(-1)) or with a combination of different amounts of vitamin C (0.002 to 2 mg ml(-1)) and vitamin E (0.01 to 10 microg ml(-1)) for 6, 24 or 48 h. Afterwards, the cellular ascorbic acid content and the natural cytotoxic activity of leucocytes were evaluated. Leucocyte ascorbic acid levels were enhanced after incubation for 6-24 h with 0-2 mg of vitamin C ml(-1) and above. The natural cytotoxic activity of leucocytes after incubation with vitamin C was also increased for all the assayed concentrations and incubation times except in the case of the highest vitamin C concentration (2 mg ml(-1)) and the longest incubation time (48 h). No statistically significant differences in leucocyte cytotoxic activity were observed when vitamin E was added to the vitamin C, compared with the results of vitamin C alone. For the in vivo study, fish were fed diets supplemented with vitamin C (2.9 g kg(-1) diet) without or with vitamin E (1.2 g of vitamin E kg(-1) diet) for 2, 4 or 6 weeks. Serum lysozyme activity was enhanced to a statistically significant degree when fish were fed with the vitamin C + E supplemented diet for 2 weeks and with the vitamin C and vitamin C + E supplemented diets for 4 weeks. Both groups of fish showed a statistically significant increase in the natural cytotoxic activity of head-kidney leucocytes after 6 weeks of treatment although no differences were observed between treatments incorporating vitamin C alone or vitamin C combined with vitamin E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meseguer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic / Q000662:veterinary; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D009113:Muramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000276:immunology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D009113:Muramidase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid