EFFECTS OF SESAMIN AND ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL ON THE PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALMEDIATORS AND IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN BROWN-NORWAY RATS

This study investigated the effects of sesamin and alpha-tocopherol on eicosanoid production and immune function in the rat. Male Brown-Norw ay rats, 4 weeks of age, were given either control, 0.5% sesamin, 0.5% alpha-tocopherol, or 0.5% sesamin plus 0.5% alpha-tocopherol diets fo r 3 weeks. When sesamin and tocopherol were given together, the propor tion of 20:4n-6 phosphatidylcholine (PC) was significantly lowered in liver and lung, while that of 18:2n-6 and 20:3n-6 was significantly in creased in liver. Simultaneous administration of these compounds signi ficantly reduced the production by the lung of leukotriene C-4 (LTC(4) ), but there was no effect on the splenic LTC(4) production and the pl asma prostaglandin E(2) concentration. Sesamin and tocopherol, either separately or in combination, significantly reduced both the proportio n of splenic CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, but the change in the CD4(+)/C D8(+) ratio was not significant. The effects of sesamin and tocopherol feeding on serum levels of IgA, IgE, and IgG were not so marked, but tocopherol significantly decreased the serum IgM level. These results suggest that the feeding of sesamin and tocopherol suppress LTC(4) pro duction through the decrease in the arachidonic acid level in lung PC.