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 murine AIDS which is functionally similar to human AIDS. Dietary supplementation, with a 15-, 150- and 450-fold increase of vitamin E in a liquid diet, significantly restored levels of interleukin-2 (IL) and interferon-gamma produced by splenocytes, which were suppressed by retrovirus infection. Retrovirus infection elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-10 produced by splenocytes, which were significantly normalized by all levels of vitamin E supplementation, respectively. Increased levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, produced by splenocytes during progression to murine AIDS, were also significantly normalized by all levels of vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E supplementation restored retrovirus-suppressed splenocyte proliferation and natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Vitamin E supplementation also alleviated the AIDS symptoms: splenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. These data indicate that dietary vitamin E supplementation at extremely high levels was not immunotoxic, and can modulate cytokine release and normalize immune dysfunctions during progression to murine AIDS. It should favorably affect host resistance and thereby retard the development of AIDS.