Ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene reduce oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines in mononuclear cells of Alzheimer's disease patients.
OBJECTIVE
The in vitro effect of a vitamin complex in generating and reducing oxidative species in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) and plasma of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy subjects (HS) was evaluated.


METHODS
Two concentrations of a vitamin complex ([A] and [20A]) with ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene were incubated with either mononuclear cells or plasma. The generation of oxidizing species was measured in a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay and the reducing response by the MTT dye reduction assay. The levels of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and IL-4) were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Our results demonstrated that the increase in the vitamin complex concentration reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and enhanced cellular reduction capacity in cells of AD patients in concentration [20A]. Plasma reduction capacity rose significantly for both groups (AD and HS). Concentration [A] did not alter the IL-1β production, increased IL-4 production in both groups and lowered IL-6 production in AD cells. Concentration [20A] increased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6) and decreased IL-4 production by PBMNC of HS leading to a pro-inflammatory status.


CONCLUSIONS
The antioxidant vitamin complex was effective in reducing oxidative stress in PBMNC of AD patients by lowering ROS production, improving cellular antioxidant capacities and modifying cytokine induced inflammation.
Barbara Fonseca
BF
de Oliveira
Clara Araujo
CA
Veloso
José Augusto
JA
Nogueira-Machado
Edgar Nunes
EN
de Moraes
Rodrigo Ribeiro
RR
dos Santos
Marco Túlio Gualberto
MT
Cintra
Míriam Martins
MM
Chaves
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019207:beta Carotene; D015847:Interleukin-4; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid