[Effect of alpha-tocopherol on the respiratory burst of neutrophils, blast transformation of lymphocytes, and activity of human natural killer cells in blood].

The effect of vitamin E on immunological reactions of blood cells was studied. The addition of vitamin E in concentration of 100 microM to neutrophils caused the increase of superoxide production. But this index was decreased when incubation of these cells with A23187 or FMLP was accompanied by alpha-tocopherol in concentration of 100 microM followed by the removal of free ligand or alpha-tocopherol in concentration of 0.5 microM. In the presence of PMA the inhibiting action of alpha-tocopherol was not found (under the 0.5 microM of alpha-tocopherol) or was small (under the concentration of it 100 microM of alpha-tocopherol). The addition of alpha-tocopherol in concentration of 0.5 microM and 50 microM caused the inhibition of blasttransformation of lymphocytes and activity of natural killer cells. This effect was expressed more under the low contents of this vitamin in the incubation medium. The level of blasstransformation of blood in vitamin E-deficient rats was by 20% less than in normal. The exogenous addition of alpha-tocopherol in concentration of 0.5 microM did not affect this value. It was suggested that vitamin E can affect the respiration burst of neutrophils, blasttransformation of lymphocytes and activity of natural killer cells and these actions depend on its concentrations.