The effect of vitamin E on secondary bacterial infection after influenza infection in young and old mice.
Mortality from influenza is high in the elderly. Deaths are mainly due to secondary complications, including Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections. Vitamin E (E) supplementation reduces influenza in aged mice. This study determined the efficacy of E supplementation on secondary bacterial infections after influenza in young and old mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed diets containing 30 or 500 ppm E for 4 weeks. Priming with influenza significantly increased SA in the lungs of infected mice fed control diet. Age did not have a significant effect on SA infection alone or SA infection after influenza infection. E supplementation did not have a significant effect on SA infection alone. However, E supplementation abolished the priming effect of influenza on SA.
Gay
Raina
R
Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Han
Sung Nim
SN
Marko
Melissa
M
Belisle
Sarah
S
Bronson
Roderick
R
Meydani
Simin Nikbin
SN
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014810:Vitamin E