Inhibition of immunoglobulin E production in allergic model mice by supplementation with vitamin E and beta-carotene.
A diet containing different amounts of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol; 0.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg or 50 mg per 100 g diet) was supplemented to BALB/c mice for 6 weeks. These mice were subcutaneously immunized twice with ovalbumin (OVA). A passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) analysis demonstrated that the mice fed on the diet containing 5 mg of vitamin E produced the highest level of the OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody. A lower level of serum IgE was found in the mice supplemented with 0.5 mg, 10 mg and 50 mg of vitamin E. A sandwich ELISA analysis showed that the pattern of the total IgE antibody level among these four groups was the same as that of the allergen-specific IgE. In a separate experiment, 5 mg of vitamin E and/or 50 mg of beta-carotene was supplemented to the basal diet containing vitamin E as alpha-tocopherol acetate (5 mg) in order to evaluate the effect of their combination on OVA-specific and total IgE production in the mice. The supplementation with beta-carotene alone had no effect on OVA-specific or total IgE production. In contrast, supplementation with vitamin E plus beta-carotene effectively suppressed both the antigen-specific and total IgE antibodies. The serum vitamin E and beta-carotene levels were increased by supplementation with the respective compounds. These results strongly suggest that the combination of dietary vitamin E and beta-carotene suppressed IgE production and would therefore help to prevent the type-I allergic reaction.
Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
Noriko
N
Bando
Rintaro
R
Yamanishi
Junji
J
Terao
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology
D000906:Antibodies; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin