No beneficial effect of vitamin E on selective immunological responses in early stage of collagen-induced murine arthritis

We investigated whether vitamin E (VE) supplementation alleviates collagen- induced arthritis in its stages by altering immune functions in DBA/1J mice . Mice were divided into 4 groups; control (VE 30 IU/kg in diet), A-VE0, A- VE30 and A-VE500 (animals with induced arthritis given VE 0, VE 30, VE 500 IU/kg in diet respectively). Arthritis was induced with Type II Collagen (T IIC). The extent of arthritis in the joint did not decline in neither A-VE0 nor A-VE500 groups compared with A-VE30. The proliferation of splenocytes stimulated with ConA was suppressed in both A-VE0 and A-VE500 groups. The p roduction of Th1 cytokine stimulated with TIIC was increased in both A-VE0 and A-VE500 groups, but production of Th2 cytokine was not changed. Our obs ervations suggest that VE supplementation does not always improve the progr ess of arthritis. The influence of VE on cytokine balance in autoimmune (Th 1 predominant) arthritis should be further investigated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.