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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177958
Title: VITAMIN E, LYCOPENE, AND EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE (EGCG) SUPPLEMENTATION AND IMMUNE RESPONSE IN APO E KNOCK OUT (APOE-/-) MICE FED AN ATHEROGENIC DIET

Author
item HAN, SUNG - TUFTS/HNRCA
item EKSIR, FARIA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item BAND, MICHAEL - TUFTS/HNRCA
item WU, DAYONG - TUFTS/HNRCA
item MEYDANI, MOHSEN - TUFTS/HNRCA
item MEYDANI, SIMIN - TUFTS/HNRCA

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/19/2005
Publication Date: 3/7/2005
Citation: Han, S.N., Eksir, F., Band, M., Wu, D., Meydani, M., Meydani, S.N. 2005. Vitamin e, lycopene, and epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) supplementation and immune response in Apo E knock out (ApoE-/-) mice fed an atherogenic diet. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 19:A1344.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which interaction between lipid metabolism and immune function plays an important role. Severe hypercholesterolemia induced by cholesterol feeding of ApoE-/- mice was shown to be associated with a switch from Th1 to Th2 response. We examined the effects of vitamin E, lycopene, and EGCG, as single or as combined supplementations, on immune and inflammatory responses of ApoE-/- mice fed an atherogenic diet. ApoE-/- mice (4wks old, C57BL background) were fed diets containing 42 percent calories from fat, 0.15 percent cholesterol, and 300 ppm vitamin E (control) or supplemented with additional vitamin E (600 ppm), lycopene (1500 mg/kg), EGCG (1000 mg/kg), or combination of those for 4 months. C57BL wild type mice fed the control diet were also examined. ApoE-/- mice showed significantly reduced cellular immune response and Th1/Th2 ratios compared with the wild type C57BL mice as evidenced by lower proliferative responses and a lower production of IL-2, and IFN-gamma. No significant difference in IL-10 production was observed between ApoE-/- and wild type mice. Single nutrient supplementation did not improve T lymphocyte proliferation or the Th1/Th2 ratios in ApoE-/- mice fed an atherogenic diet, however, supplementation with all three significantly increased the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in ApoE-/- mice. These data suggest that combined supplementation with vitamin E, lycopene, and EGCG can reverse the shift in Th1/Th2 ratios observed in ApoE-/- mice fed a diet containing high level of fat and a moderate level of cholesterol.