期刊名称：Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
印刷版ISSN：0301-4800
电子版ISSN：1881-7742
出版年度：1993
卷号：39
期号：5
页码：451-463
DOI：10.3177/jnsv.39.451
出版社：Center for Academic Publications Japan
摘要：The effect of vitamin E (dl-a-tocopheryl acetate) on T cell differentiation in thymus of F344 rats was examined in this study. The rats were divided into three groups: vitamin E-free, regular and high vitamin E groups and fed a diet containing various levels of vitamin E (0, 50, and 585 mg/kg diet) for 7 weeks. The number of thymocytes was significantly lower in the vitamin E-free group relative to the regular group. Although the proportions of both CD4 CD8- and CD4-CD8+ T cells in thymocytes were significantly greater in the high vitamin E group, the proportion of CD4+CD8- T cells inversely decreased in vitamin E-free group compared to that of the regular group. The ratio of CD4+ CD8-/CD4-CD8 T cells increased in the high vitamin E group (p<0.01) and significantly decreased in the vitamin E-free group (p<0.001) compared to that of the regular group. Although the marked changes of T cell subsets were not seen in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), the ratio of CD4+CD8-/CD4-CD8 T cells was significantly lower in the vitamin E-free group and significantly greater in the high vitamin E group compared to that of the regular group. Production of interleukin (IL) 2 by thymocytes following the stimulation with Con A for 48 h increased about threefold in the high vitamin E group compared to the regular group. Conversely, thymocytes from rats fed the vitamin E-free diet showed a significant decrease of IL2 production compared to that of the regular group. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production from thymocytes was significantly lower in the high vitamin E group compared to that of the regular group, whereas thymocytes of rats fed the vitamin E-free diet showed a significant increase of PGE2 production compared to that of rats fed the regular diet. Furthermore, in vitro addition of indomethacin provided a restoration of IL2 production from thymocytes of rats fed the vitamin E-free diet to the level of rats fed the regular diet. These results suggest that vitamin E plays an important role in T cell differentiation in thymus, which may be related to the action of vitamin E as antioxidant.
