title: In vivo regulation of gene transcription by alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in murine T lymphocytes.
abstract: Of the 8 different analogues (α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherols and tocotrienols) designated as vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol (α-T) has been mostly studied, together with gamma-tocopherol (γ-T) which is abundant in the US diet. We compared the effect of dietary supplementation with adequate or high doses of α-T or γ-T on the number and type of genes expressed following T cell activation. C57BL/6 mice were fed diets containing adequate (30 ppm) or high (500 ppm) amounts of α-T or γ-T for 4 weeks. Spleen T cells were stimulated ex vivo with plate-bound anti-CD3 and soluble anti-CD28, and gene expression changes were assessed by gene array analysis. The data obtained indicated significant qualitative and quantitative differences between the two analogs in regulating gene expression induced by T cell stimulation. Genes were found uniquely responding to either high α-T (e.g. induced: CD40 ligand, lymphotoxin A) or γ-T (e.g. repressed: poliovirus receptor-related-2). Interestingly, in stimulated T-cells from mice supplemented with high amounts of α-T a bigger number of genes were activated than in mice supplemented with the same amounts of γ-T; under the same conditions γ-T repressed the expression of a number of genes larger than α-T. It is possible that the observed diminution in gene expression in T cells after high γ-T in vivo supplementation modulates inflammation or other T cell mediated functions.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Biology Laboratory, JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zingg
authors.forename: Sung Nim
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Eunice
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meydani
authors.forename: Simin Nikbin
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Meydani
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D063990:Gene Ontology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: Diet supplementation; Gene expression regulation; T cell stimulation; Tocopherol; Vitamin E