EFFECTS OF VITAMIN-E ON THE SLE-LIKE (SYS TEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS) - DISEASES IN MRL IPR MICE

In humans systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE is an autoimmune disease o f unknown etiology. According to many studies, the disease depends on genetic and environmentally acquired factors, and preferentially occur s in females. The MRL/lpr mouse is a good model of human SLE since mos t of the pathologic expressions associated with the human disease (e.g . skin lesions, lymphadenopathy, arthritis, nephritis, multiple autoan tibodies etc.) also occur in the mouse. MRL/lpr mice were orally suppl emented 5 times/week with 0.4 mg vitamin E/day and compared with mice on a commercial or a vitamin E-deficient diet. The results were: the m ean survival time was extended; the massive spleen and lymph node enla rgements were reduced; mitogenic responses of T and B cells stimulated with concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide were enhanced; the abnormal differentiation patterns of thymic and splenic subpopulations were ch anged; the oxidative burst of splenic macrophages was increased; titer s of anti-double stranded DNA antibodies, concentrations of serum amyl oid protein (SAP, an acute phase protein), and proteinuria were reduce d. Vitamin E administration produced a definite amelioration, but not an absolute cure of the chronic SLE-like disease. The results indicate that vitamin E beneficially influences the development of the SLE-lik e disease in MRL/lpr mice, which suggests a possible measure to reduce human SLE and probably various other autoimmune diseases in humans.