title: Promotion of plasma membrane repair by vitamin E.
abstract: Severe vitamin E deficiency results in lethal myopathy in animal models. Membrane repair is an important myocyte response to plasma membrane disruption injury as when repair fails, myocytes die and muscular dystrophy ensues. Here we show that supplementation of cultured cells with α-tocopherol, the most common form of vitamin E, promotes plasma membrane repair. Conversely, in the absence of α-tocopherol supplementation, exposure of cultured cells to an oxidant challenge strikingly inhibits repair. Comparative measurements reveal that, to promote repair, an anti-oxidant must associate with membranes, as α-tocopherol does, or be capable of α-tocopherol regeneration. Finally, we show that myocytes in intact muscle cannot repair membranes when exposed to an oxidant challenge, but show enhanced repair when supplemented with vitamin E. Our work suggests a novel biological function for vitamin E in promoting myocyte plasma membrane repair. We propose that this function is essential for maintenance of skeletal muscle homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Amber C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McNeil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005947:Glucose / Q000009:adverse effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D005947:Glucose