title: The anti-inflammatory role of vitamin e in prevention of osteoporosis.
abstract: There is growing evidence that inflammation may be one of the causal factors of osteoporosis. Several cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, RANKL, OPG, and M-CSF were implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. These cytokines are important determinants of osteoclast differentiation and its bone resorptive activity. Anticytokine therapy using cytokine antagonists such as IL-receptor antagonist and TNF-binding protein was able to suppress the activity of the respective cytokines and prevent bone loss. Several animal studies have shown that vitamin E in the forms of palm-derived tocotrienol and α-tocopherol may prevent osteoporosis in rat models by suppressing IL-1 and IL-6. Free radicals are known to activate transcription factor NFκB which leads to the production of bone resorbing cytokines. Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, may be able to neutralise free radicals before they could activate NFκB, therefore suppressing cytokine production and osteoporosis. Vitamin E has also been shown to inhibit COX-2, the enzyme involved in inflammatory reactions. Of the two types of vitamin E studied, tocotrienol seemed to be better than tocopherol in terms of its ability to suppress bone-resorbing cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nazrun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norazlina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norliza
authors.forename: S Ima
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Nirwana