title: Role of immunoregulatory transcription factors in differential immunomodulatory effects of tocotrienols.
abstract: Tocotrienols have been shown to possess antioxidant, antitumor, cardioprotective, and antiproliferative effects. This report describes novel immunomodulatory effects of tocotrienols in murine lymphocytes. γ-Tocotrienol (GT) was more effective in suppressing concanavalin A (Con A)-induced T cell proliferation and cytokine production compared to α-tocotrienol (AT) when present continuously in the culture. GT inhibited T cell activation markers and costimulatory molecule. GT modulated intracellular glutathione in lymphocytes, and the suppressive effects of GT could not be abrogated by thiol or nonthiol antioxidants, indicating a poor link between anti-inflammatory properties of tocotrienols and cellular redox status. It was also observed that GT suppressed Con A-induced activation of NF-κB, AP-1, and NF-κB-dependent gene expression. Cellular uptake studies with tocotrienols showed higher accumulation of GT compared to AT. Similar immunosuppressive effects of GT were also observed when administered to mice. In contrast, transient exposure of lymphocytes to GT (4 h) resulted in higher survival and proliferation of lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo in syngeneic and allogeneic hosts. This was attributed to the ability of GT to induce NF-κB, AP-1, and mTOR activation in lymphocytes upon transient exposure. Our results demonstrated that antioxidants such as tocotrienols may exhibit pleiotropic effects by activating multiple mechanisms in cells.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Biology & Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India.
authors.forename: Chandan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilankar
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Checker
authors.forename: Nazir M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Raghavendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patwardhan
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Santosh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sandur
authors.forename: T P A
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Devasagayam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002839:Chromans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D024508:Tocotrienols; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002839:Chromans; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016328:NF-kappa B; D024508:Tocotrienols; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D003208:Concanavalin A; D014810:Vitamin E; C013649:plastochromanol 8; C082032:tocotrienol, alpha; C546843:mTOR protein, mouse; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D005978:Glutathione