MODULATION OF IMMUNE FUNCTION AND CYTOKINE PRODUCTION BY VARIOUS LEVELS OF VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION DURING MURINE AIDS

Female C57BL/6 mice were infected with LP-BM5 retrovirus, causing muri ne AIDS which is functionally similar to human AIDS. Dietary supplemen tation, with a 15-, 150- and 450-fold increase of vitamin E in a liqui d diet, significantly restored levels of interleukin-2 (IL) and interf eron-gamma produced by splenocytes, which were suppressed by retroviru s infection. Retrovirus infection elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-10 pr oduced by splenocytes, which were significantly normalized by all leve ls of vitamin E supplementation, respectively. Increased levels of IL- 6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, produced by splenocytes during prog ression to murine AIDS, were also significantly normalized by all leve ls of vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E supplementation restored re trovirus-suppressed splenocyte proliferation and natural killer cell c ytotoxicity. Vitamin E supplementation also alleviated the AIDS sympto ms: splenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. These data indicate that dietary vitamin E supplementation at extremely high levels was not imm unotoxic, and can modulate cytokine release and normalize immune dysfu nctions during progression to murine AIDS. It should favorably affect host resistance and thereby retard the development of AIDS.