SUPPLEMENTATION WITH SELENIUM AUGMENTS THE FUNCTIONS OF NATURAL-KILLER AND LYMPHOKINE-ACTIVATED KILLER-CELLS

This study examined the effects of dietary (2.0 ppm for 8 wk) and in v itro (1 x 10(-7)M) supplementation with selenium (Se, as sodium seleni te) on the activity of spleen natural killer (NK) cells and plastic-ad herent lymphokine-activated killer (A-LAK) cells from C57B1/6J male mi ce. Dietary supplementation with Se resulted in a significant increase in the lytic activity of activated NK cells, and cells from these hig hly lytic effector cell populations expressed significantly higher num bers of intermediate affinity interleukin-2 receptors (Il-2R)/cell. In the presence of high concentrations of Il-2 and 1 x 10(-7)M Se, resti ng populations of spleen NK cells developed into A-LAK cells that had a significantly enhanced ability to proliferate, as indicated by the s ignificantly higher amounts of nuclear H-3-thymidine incorporation, an d a significantly augmented cytolytic activity against both NK-sensiti ve and NK-resistant target cells. Se appears to enhance the lytic acti vity of activated NK cells and to augment the proliferation, expansion , and lytic activity of A-LAK cells in the presence of high concentrat ions of Il-2 through its ability to enhance the expression of intermed iate affinity Il-2R on these cells.